No Angel, No Devil
by KarmicRogue
Summary: Madness slunk in through a chink in history. It only took a moment. - Arundhati Roy. Current era continuation of the Gardens of the Moon universe ('moderately' AU). In short, a sequel type thing. Warning: Spoilers for end of GotM. And also angst. Just FYI.
1. Prologue: Throes of Rebellion

No Angel, No Devil

Book One

I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still me.

\- HP Lovecraft

Prologue: Throes of Rebellion

It is a very mixed blessing to be brought back from the dead.

\- Kurt Vonnegut

 **REI**

My feet pounded along the rooftop, somewhere in the darkness in front of me I could sense my quarry. I quickened my pace doing my best to recover lost ground after slipping slightly on the wet surface.

Blood pounded in my ears almost blocking out the sound of rain falling all around me. I leaped across one of the skylights, my feet splashing through a puddle on the other side. I skidded to a stop at the edge of the building. I looked down past the fire escape that ran up the side of the building, there was no sign of movement down there. My gaze was drawn out across the gap between the two structures. I gritted my teeth. There was only one place the shadow could have gone from here...

I truly hated this part of the chase. I gauged the distance... it was a hell of a jump. I took a few steps away from the edge to get a running start, then launched myself across the gap towards the shorter building.

I nearly made it. However that wasn't quite enough.

My body thudded into the side of the other building as I latched my arm around the parapet. I cursed under my breath softly, climbing over the edge of the building as quietly as I could. I dropped into a ready position as I paused again, brushing back my wet hair. I listened for the sound of movement.

When I didn't hear anything I reached out with my senses, waiting until I felt the darkness tugging at my heart. I allowed myself to be drawn towards that darkness, following the sensation across the rooftop to a maintenance door that hung on it's hinges. I approached warily, looking into the blackness within.

A set of stairs descended into the darkness, the end to them was lost in the murky black. I sighed, I had no choice but to use my power to dispel the darkness. It felt like I was walking into a trap, the fire I was summoning would function as a homing beacon for the creature I was after. Luckily there was only one of them and I'd receive warning about the appearance of any others.

I slowly descended into the warehouse, keeping a flame burning in my palm. The light from the fire illuminated the building's interior in an eerie way.

As I reached the warehouse floor I felt, rather than saw, a flicker of movement but any sign of the creature was swallowed up in the shadow of the storage area. I couldn't see anything in the gloom, at least not past the small ring of light the flame gave off. I advanced slowly, waiting for more movement.

I hated it when these things went indoors. I preferred staying outside... it was easier to fight out there. My skills tended to set off fire alarms which completely ruined any chance I had for staying under the radar and out of the papers.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and attempting to sense the creature again. I allowed myself to relax, letting my other senses take over. My heart beat calmed slightly, the blood was no longer pounding in my ears. There was a sharp tug at my heart as I felt the creature begin its attack. I reacted instinctively as I opened my eyes.

I caused the flame in my hand to flare up, arching towards my other hand. I caught the creature's flailing limbs as it materialized before me. My hands were encased in fire as I sent the flame racing along its arms towards its centre. The flames spread quickly, burning the creature down to ash. I let out a long sigh, allowing myself a small smile.

I pulled out my phone, checking the time and making sure I hadn't missed anything important. It was was nearing three in the morning, this little excursion had taken considerably longer than I had expected. The creatures were getting more cunning and now had less trouble adapting to the new environment they found themselves in. This one had managed to elude me for much longer than normal. I kept my phone in hand as I looked around the warehouse.

Thank god that was finally over. I was satisfied with the results of tonight's hunt but that didn't change the fact I was exhausted. Maybe now I could go home and get some sleep. Any sane person would be in bed at this hour, not chasing shadows through the rain. I guess that just went to show I wasn't exactly what one would call normal. At least not in this day and age. I shook my head as I scattered the ash around with my shoe. I didn't want to leave any evidence behind.

That being said, for a moment I still considered leaving the building through one of the ground level exits. But from experience I knew people tended to lock those doors at night... and opening them set off alarms. So instead of taking the easy way out, I walked back up the stairs to the roof and stepped back out into the stormy night.

I glanced up at the sky for a minute, the nights were slowly getting colder. In fact, I was surprised that it wasn't snowing yet. I carefully patrolled the rooftop, scanning for enemies of a different sort. Security guards around the warehouses could be a real pain in the ass. They weren't something I felt like dealing with tonight but somehow civilians had an annoying habit of popping up when you least expected it.

Once I was certain there was no one around I made my way back to my point of entry... though I was debating about finding another way down. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the thought of jumping between buildings again. I was bruised enough from my first attempt.

I approached the edge, looking across to the fire escape of the other building. Maybe there was an easier way across. I rested a hand against the parapet as I looked down at the chasm between the buildings. I flipped my phone around in my hand, fiddling with it idly... a nervous habit. Leaping between buildings was far easier when you were caught up in the thrill of the chase. I gritted my teeth... and then paused.

I looked over my shoulder as I heard movement behind me. Another shadow was phasing into our world.

My eyes narrowed, why hadn't I been warned of this incursion? I glanced down slightly, looking at the phone in my hand. Still no warning even though the shadow was almost completely in our world. I pocketed the phone swiftly as I turned towards the new threat. I didn't want to lose my means of communication, that would be... unfortunate.

This new incursion was worrying, I had not received warning... which meant that either our warning system was flawed or that the shadows were now able to conceal themselves from detection.

I put as much distance between the shadow and I as possible, doing my best to calm myself enough to draw on my power. But before I was entirely prepared, the shadow attacked. I dodged its' clawed hand, ducking under its arm. I raised my hands into a fighting position. I hated fighting these things unarmed but it wasn't like I could just carry a sword around. And guns with my particular power set were... unwieldy.

The shadow shifted as it recovered its position. A tendril of darkness wrapped itself around my arm, tightening its grip. I winced as I anticipated the searing pain I had experienced in the previous life but it never came. Instead there was a dull ache in its place, followed by a numbing sensation. My eyes narrowed in confusion.

I was pulled off balance, realizing too late that I had dropped my guard in my surprise. The creature hurled me over the edge towards the building I had leaped from earlier. I slammed into the wall awkwardly, dropping down onto the grating of the fire escape. I groaned, feeling the rusted metal bite into the palms of my hands. I shook myself slightly, trying to clear my head. I ignored the ringing in my ears and got to my feet cautiously.

I watched as the shadow made the leap between buildings with ease before it approached the edge with a hungry look in its gaze. I swung myself over the railing, dropping to the ground below. I rolled as I landed, getting to my feet as fast as possible.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to acknowledge my aching body. I was doing my best to concentrate solely on the shadow. Somehow I had made the transition from predator to prey. This apparition had caught me off guard and that had never happened before.

As the shadow climbed down the side of the building towards me, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I let out a hissing breath, that warning was a little bit on the late side. I was going to have a very serious talk with someone about that...

At the sound of my phone, the shadow's attention focused on me sharply. It was like a switch had been flipped between hunt and kill. A harsh cry reverberated through the night as the creature sprang at me.

I growled in annoyance as I summoned the fire, focusing on that place within my mind and soul. The others had it so much easier, Ami could draw water from the surrounding atmosphere or city infrastructure, Makoto could channel static electricity or steal it from power lines, and Minako could manipulate any metal in her surroundings. I was the only one that had to call forth my power out of nothing but my own soul. The others could do it if they had to... but they had other easier ways of accessing their power. However there were certain trade offs, power drawn directly from the soul was more potent even if it was harder to access and control.

I focused on the shadow, waiting for the opportune moment. I released the energy a split second before impact, incinerating the creature without ever having to land a blow. There was a howl of agony as it disappeared.

I frowned, wincing as I tried to move my arm and hand. The numbness had faded slightly and was replaced with an aching cold. I began to take off my jacket, wanting to get a better look at the injury. Usually the affected areas were a bloody mess of ragged wounds, cauterized flesh, and heavy bruising. I cursed myself for even allowing this to happen, Ami would kill me if she found out. I let my jacket fall to the ground, intent on the injury rather than the state of my clothes.

However, now that I actually saw my arm, there were none of the wounds I had expected. In their place, a lone coil of darkness still writhed around my arm, sucking the light from my surroundings. I raised my arm closer to my face, trying to get a better look. This was...odd to say the least. I watched as it faded away, leaving nothing but a blackened bruise in its wake.

I flexed my hand again, wincing slightly at the sensation that spread through my arm. I shook my head. What the hell was going on here? It was like the world was conspiring against me. Things had gone from bad to worse all night long.. The issue with my phone was just the last straw. I didn't want to deal with this shit anymore. But I knew that my phone was my one piece of vital equipment in the business of saving, or at least preserving, lives.

Guess I needed some tech support and there was only one person I could count on to get that done. I grabbed my leather jacket and pulled it back on, ignoring the faint pain that spread through my arm.

I set off into the rain, making my way back to my vehicle. Sometime later, after a drive through the city, I knocked on the door to Luna's apartment and from somewhere inside I heard a faint movement. Eventually a bleary eyed Artemis opened the door.

"Rei." He greeted tiredly. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's about half past four." I replied tersely, tossing him my phone. The infernal device could have gotten me killed tonight. Whatever had malfunctioned needed to be repaired before I went out again... and I needed that done as soon as possible.

"It's broken – fix it." I told him as he caught it. I turned to go but Artemis grabbed my arm.

"Wait, you were out hunting? In this weather?" He asked, seeming more awake now. I shrugged.

"Someone had to do it." I replied.

"So what's the problem?" Artemis asked as he studied the phone closely.

"Nothing much.. except for the fact that your program alerted me of the shadow's presence _after_ it had arrived." I replied. "And that kind of defeats the purpose of an early warning system if you ask me."

"I thought we'd worked out all the kinks." He muttered, looking thoughtful as he scrolled through my phone.

"Apparently not." I replied testily. He gestured for me to come into the apartment. I followed him inside, putting my hands in my pockets.

"How've you been?" He asked me, distractedly as he began working. I glared at him.

"I've been chasing a shadow through the night in the middle of a storm for the past two hours. How do you think I've been?" I asked him. He looked up at me, appearing bewildered and slightly apologetic. I shook my head, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "I've been fine."

"Rei..." He murmured as he set down the phone. I shook my head again not wanting to hear him apologize. If he apologized I'd start doubting myself again. I'd start doubting them again.

"Don't Artemis. We both know it's something that needed to be done." I replied. He frowned.

"Luna and I have been talking..." He stated, obviously trying to shift the conversation to a more sensitive area gently.

"As opposed to your usual form of communication?" I remarked, with a slight glance in his direction. He sent me a look of annoyance as he rolled his eyes.

"Why do you all find it so funny that Luna and I are together?" He asked me. I smirked slightly, shaking my head.

"I don't find it funny. I'm just saying body language is much more common than words between the two of you." I remarked. Artemis rolled his eyes then he spoke again.

"And I know what you're doing, by the way." He told me, giving me a stern look..

"What am I doing?" I asked with mild interest.

"You're trying to distract me from what I wanted to talk about." He replied, sighing as he continued. "Rei, we're worried about you. You've..."

His voice trailed off. I glared at him.

"I've what, Artemis?" I asked sharply.

"You've been acting different." He told me calmly, apparently not taking my tone to heart. "It's like you've been distracted..."

I could hear the worry in his tone. I looked away, listening to him get to his feet and approach me. He didn't reach out to make contact though.

"Sit down Rei." He said softly, the worry still tinging his tone. "I'm going to make us some tea... then I'd like to talk with you for a bit."

"Artemis, I'm fine despite what you may think." I told him sternly, hoping to steer him away from this conversation.

"Fine." Artemis replied, glancing at me as he put rummaged through the cupboards. "But I'm still making you a cup of tea. I'd offer to make you some coffee but I imagine you'd still like to try and get a bit of sleep tonight."

"Very well." I agreed as I sat down at the table, watching as he filled the kettle with water. I leaned back in my seat, looking around the kitchen. I found myself glancing at the slowly accumulating evidence their shared lives.

This relationship between them was relatively new, though the attraction between them wasn't. They had skirted around the issue for the majority of the time I'd known them. They had always said that their job had to take precedence. But when things with the shadows fell into a holding pattern it seemed that Luna and Artemis' patience had run out and they had given in to their desires.

"So are you two officially moved in together or what?" I asked as Artemis came back to the table with two large mugs of tea. He set one before me "I mean, you're here more often than not... so really it would be about damn time."

"We just finished moving everything over here a couple weeks ago." He said with a grin as he hooked up my cellphone to his laptop. "So yeah, I guess it's official now. I mean she hasn't killed me yet so..."

"Ah, then it must be true love..." I remarked, taking a sip of tea. He gave me a mock glare before returning to his work. We sat in a content silence as he continued trying to fix my phone. I felt myself beginning to study my surroundings again. Luna, and Artemis by default, had somehow managed to make this one of the most welcoming places I'd ever been... Even despite the fact I'd never felt truly comfortable with them.

There was too much history between us for me to be completely at ease around them. On some level I think they knew that but we never really talked about it.

I found myself glancing towards one of the pictures on their refrigerator, it was what had truly tipped me off to the fact that they were finally living together. The picture had always been on the fridge at Artemis' apartment, never once had it been moved in all the years I'd known him.

I looked back and found Artemis watching me carefully just as I realized that I'd been fiddling with my pack of cigarettes. My hands always seemed to find their way to the pack when I started thinking about her.

"How's she doing?" I asked finally. His eyes flicked towards the picture, a slight frown crossing his face. He reached down into one of the kitchen drawers and tossed me a lighter.

"You two still aren't talking?" He replied. I gave him a dark look as I lit up. He nodded, seeming to catch my drift. I wanted him to answer my questions, then I'd see about answering his. "The touring, movie premiers, and talk shows have her busy but she's doing well. She really enjoys it."

I nodded, taking another sip of tea as I tried my best not to let ash fall on to their table.

"That's good." I muttered. There was silence between us for a few minutes as Artemis thought over my words. Eventually he set the phone aside and met my eyes, casually sliding over a small makeshift ash tray.

"Rei, I know you've let go of a lot of things to help Luna and I, but..."

"Artemis, I'm doing what needs to be done. Nothing more than that. So just drop it." I told him, brushing my thumb gently against the filter of my cigarette causing ash to fall on to the tray. He ignored me and continued to speak.

"I just don't see why you let Minako go as well. You two... weren't in the most conventional relationship, but I could see she made you happy. Well, at least when she wasn't driving you completely insane." Artemis commented with a slight upward quirk of his lips, his expression turned more serious and the look of concern deepened. I took my time smoking, pretending not to listen. "Rei, from what she told me, you were the one to break it off. I... I just want to know why."

I exhaled, making sure to direct my smoke away from his face. Perhaps it was time I let him in on some of my thoughts.

"Artemis, you and I both know I'm only doing this so the others have a chance to be happy before that darkness comes again. And Minako... We both know that she needed to follow her dreams to be happy and her dreams weren't here. She needed to go chase her dreams, they all needed to live their lives and experience live their dreams before they have to fight...or make the decisions they were never supposed to."

"It was wrong of Luna and I to ask you to do this. It should have been a burden shared by all of you... like it was before; when you were younger you all fought together. It was wrong of us to ask you to take it on by yourself."

"It was the logical thing to do Artemis. The shadow incursions weren't happening often enough to truly be a threat, there was no reason for them to throw away their futures." I told him as I put out what remained of my smoke before the ember reached my finger tips.

"And what about your future?" Artemis asked. I looked at him, thinking long and hard about my answer. My situation wasn't the easiest to explain. I had responsibilities and privileges in this time that the others didn't and... I had to honour that.

"My future cannot be abandoned so easily. It's in my blood Artemis, whether I want it or not. I didn't really have a dream to chase... so it's logical for me to be the one to take control of the situation." I told him, allowing myself to lie the tiniest bit about my dreams. I had dreams, just none that I felt able to pursue.

"But..."

"Artemis. Drop it." I told him sharply. He looked away. I softened my tone. "What's done is done, leave it at that."

Silence fell between us again. Artemis slid my phone across the table.

"Well, I've fixed the problem with the phone. There was an issue with how it was communicating the sensors I installed around the city..."

I nodded as I slipped the phone back into my pocket. I got to my feet.

"What happened out there tonight?" Artemis asked. "You don't normally drop by like this... even if there is a problem with your equipment."

"There were two of them out there tonight. I thought I should warn you that... the time is drawing near." I replied with a sigh. "The invasions are becoming more and more frequent... and that can only mean one thing. _She_ is taking control. That coupled with the issue with my phone, I thought it was in our best interests if I came and spoke to you."

Artemis' eyes narrowed, he looked deeply troubled by what I had said but he didn't question my interpretation of the facts. This was what we'd been waiting for... it shouldn't have surprised us that it was finally here. But somehow, it still did.

"I'll talk to Luna." He said softly. "We'll get things in motion. We'll be ready when she makes her move."

I nodded, turning and leaving the warmth of their apartment. In a few short seconds I was back out in the cold, I pulled my keys out of my pocket and swiftly unlocked my car.

As I pulled out on to the road and began my drive home I realized it still surprised me that there were still others out and about... that or they just got up extremely early. Either way, I wasn't exactly the only car on the road. There city was still awake and alive with movement. I guess that was the appeal of living in the city, you were never really alone. Even if you felt like it sometimes.

I made my way through the downtown core, glancing up at the sky. Just visible through the clouds was the soft glow of the moon. I did my best not to scowl at the place where we had died all those years ago. It was the meeting place of gods and men and somehow in the thick of it all we had ended up on the wrong side of history. Not that everyone remembered this, they were under the impression we had fought for what was good and true... They were left with a lie and no real memories of our former lives.

For some reason I had a perfect recollection of our history and it haunted me. These memories were the reason for being so distrustful of Artemis and Luna. I didn't know where they stood or what they truly remembered and there was no way to safely approach the topic without showing my hand. And since Queen Serenity wasn't around to get answers from... I was left on my own.

I was the only one burdened with knowledge of the delusion that they suffered from. Or maybe it was a mercy that they didn't remember. I knew that I didn't enjoy the knowledge that I had failed so completely. Perhaps that was why I remembered. Maybe it was punishment for that failure.

I shook my head as I turned into an underground parking garage. I got out of my car and slammed the door before proceeding to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, I pushed the button for the penthouse suite. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes as I thought.

I still couldn't get over the Queen's betrayal. At the time I had downplayed my reaction to it because I had a responsibility to the others. But now that I was truly faced with everything she had taken from us... I was appalled. She had stolen that which was most precious to me after we had trusted her to safeguard our worlds. She had stolen from the others... but what they couldn't remember didn't bother them. A deep resentment was building within me and these feelings of hate and disdain were making me question my fundamental nature.

The elevator slowed as it approached the top floor, I opened my eyes as the doors slid open. I stepped out of the elevator, fumbling in my pocket for my keys. I unlocked the door and entered my apartment. As always, silence greeted me as I tossed my keys in the dish by the door and slid off my jacket.

I let the jacket fall to the ground, kicking off my shoes. Usually I was much more organized, but tonight I just didn't care. As I passed through the living room I picked up a remote, turning on the music system, letting that noise fill the house instead of the stifling silence.

Normally the quiet didn't bother me but it seemed to grab my attention more often of late. I was used to the quiet, growing up the way I did. Some even said I thrived on it but I just couldn't stand it right now. I think it was because I knew I shouldn't be alone. Someone was supposed to be here with me. And I missed having that presence around. That presence was everything.

I gritted my teeth as I tossed the remote on to the couch and headed for the washroom. I turned on the water, letting it run hot before stripping down and stepping into the shower. I winced slightly as the water hit the marks on my arm and body. I knew I would be sore tomorrow and even though we healed faster than the average human these bruises wouldn't be so quick to fade. I could feel a dull ache settling in over my body, I was just beginning to feel the full effects of the battle. Tomorrow morning would be rough.

As I stepped out of the shower, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Some days seeing myself was incredibly offputting, I was in a body that wasn't my own. Scars and old injuries I knew I had received in the past simply didn't exist any more. I shook that thought from my head, no need to dwell on that again. I focused instead on the huge bruises that laced their way across my ribs and judging by the way I ached, my back wasn't much better. I sighed, pulling a towel off the rack. This was why I hated roof top chases. I was always a mess after them.

Though this hadn't exactly been a typical roof top chase. Normally I wasn't thrown into buildings. Across the span of two life times... that was a new one.

I dried myself off as I walked through the other door into the master bedroom. I opened one set of drawers, taking out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I pulled on the clothes before walking back to the living room.

As I picked up the remote from the couch I glanced at the coffee table... a pile of paperwork was spread across it. I frowned, remembering the work I'd been doing before I'd gotten warning of the shadow's appearance. I put the remote back down and took a seat on the couch, pulling the paperwork in front of me.

I sighed as I went back to looking over the forms I needed to fill out for the contractors. I ran a hand through my hair, swinging my legs up onto the couch and getting comfortable. Gods, I should have just given these to someone else to do before I left work...

I sifted through the paperwork, rubbing at my eyes.

I was exhausted, it seemed like my life was trailing into a meaningless haze. There was nothing for me here. Not really. Day to day life was troublesome at best and there was always an undercurrent of urgency and loss. I was missing something I could never really claim as my own. She was out of my reach.

The despair that had settled in over my heart had clouded over the darkness that was waiting on the other side. I had but to open the door... and be consumed.

Not knowing what else to do I crossed over. Just out of sight I could feel something lurking... waiting. Shifting shadows barely discernible from the darkness around them.

The world erupted into chaos. I froze, unable to think of what to do. Things passed in a blur and the next thing I knew I was being tossed through a window. And with that... I fell towards the ground. Just as I made it to my knees a shadow appeared before me. I was aware of nothing but pain. My arm, my ribs, my head, all seared in agony and protest as I did my best to fight back.

But it was too late. The shadow's claw pierced my heart, phasing through my body as if it were nothing... as if I were nothing.

AN: Just as in GotM I'll incorporate other POVs. This is just to kick off the story. Got bored wanting to post this so hopefully you read the description and didn't read this if you didn't want spoilers.


	2. Chapter 1: Cross Your Hard Heart

1.) Cross Your Hard Heart

The course of love never did run smooth.

\- William Shakespeare

 **REI**

A sudden buzzing caused me to jerk violently. I awoke from my dream as I tumbled off the couch, landing on the hardwood floor with a crash. I made it to my hands and knees before lifting a shaking hand to my chest, covering the place where the shadow had pierced my heart. I rested my forehead on the cold floor before taking a few deep steadying breaths to calm my shattered nerves. I reached for my buzzing phone. A quick look at the screen told me that it wasn't exactly an emergency.

I shifted position, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the couch I'd fallen asleep on sometime last night... or rather earlier this morning. I dragged my thumb across the screen as I brought the phone to my ear.

"What do you want?" I demanded as I ran a hand through my hair, trying to tame it as well as wake myself up.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine." Makoto greeted sarcastically. I grunted in response, bringing my hand back to my chest and massaging it gently. It was aching, I could still remember the sharp pain I had experienced in the dream as well as the past life.

"Did you sleep in or something? It sounds like you just woke up." Makoto asked, sounding far too chipper for my liking.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Had a late night." I replied, doing my best not to growl at her.

"So I take it you're not meeting Ami and I for coffee...?" Makoto commented. I groaned, trying not to swear into the phone.

"That was today?" I asked weakly, already knowing the answer. Makoto laughed.

"Yeah, that was today." Makoto replied, I looked at the clock on the wall. Seven thirty. Generally I was up by now, even if I'd worked until closing... I guess since I'd been out until the early hours of the morning was excuse enough for my disrupted sleep schedule.

"Ah, fuck. Sorry about that, Makoto..." I apologized, running my hand back through my hair again. I always seemed to be doing this to them. It was so difficult for me to maintain relationships outside of work.

"Don't worry about it, Rei." Makoto told me, having that familiar forgiving tone in her voice. "How about we get together for dinner tonight instead? Ami's got the evening off and..."

"If she has the night off, why the fuck would you want to spend it with me? I mean shouldn't you be having date night or some shit?" I asked, slightly surprised by her offer. The two of them had such busy schedules I was surprised they had the time to be together... let alone have a functioning relationship.

"You're a piece of work, you know that right?" Makoto asked, sounding both exasperated and extremely amused. "You're one of our best friends and we don't see you enough. So you're dragging your ass over here for dinner and that's final."

"Asshole." I muttered under my breath before chuckling. "But yeah, it'd be good to see you two. You want me to bring wine or something?"

"Nah. I've got it under control... and, you know, for owning a club your wine choices are shit." Makoto taunted.

"Ha. Ha. You're a riot, you know that?" I replied, rolling my eyes while I tried not to betray my amusement.

"Dinner's at six. See you then, okay _sunshine_?" Makoto asked. I could almost hear the smirk in her voice.

"Go to hell." I replied, doing my best not to smile. She chuckled.

"I'll tell Ami you say hi. See you later." She told me before hanging up.

"Yeah, see you then." I said to the empty air as I tossed my cell on to the coffee table, a smile was now firmly planted on my face. At least in this world she never failed to cheer me up.

 **ARTEMIS**

I woke to Luna slipping her arms around my waist and cuddling close to me. I rolled over, allowing myself to curl around her.

"Where'd you disappear to last night?" She asked, letting her head rest on my shoulder.

"As with most things that drag you out of bed at three in the morning, it wasn't exactly good news, Lu." I told her softly. "Rei encountered two of the shadows last night and all in all, they're appearing with greater frequency. We both think that means that Beryl's back, starting to exert some control over those things."

Luna jerked up out of my arms, causing me to roll on to my back again and throw an arm over my face as she whipped open the blinds.

"You should have woken me when you found out Artemis, we should have been planning, and..." She said, almost falling into one of her frantic lectures. I clenched my eyes tightly shut for a moment before opening them to the cold light reflecting the dreary weather outside. I sat up.

"Luna, calm down." I told her, grabbing her about the waist and pulling her back into my lap. "There's nothing we could do at the moment. It's not like we can suddenly call a team meeting, we need to ease the others back into this."

I allowed her a few seconds to think this over before I continued talking.

"Everyone who needs to know, knows now. We can take some time with the others, maybe try and get them together and tell them all at once." I paused again, this time swallowing down a bit of guilt. I covered it up with humour as best I could. "That would certainly save Rei a bunch of angry lectures from her friends. Everything will be fine, Rei can keep an eye on things until we get a handle on the situation."

 **MAKOTO**

I looked over at Ami as I hung up the phone, a grin still toying with my expression.

"You were right, she slept in." I chuckled.

"I heard." Ami replied as she stirred her tea absentmindedly. The paper lay spread open across her lap, she seemed to be engrossed in whatever article it was she was reading.

"Anything interesting in there?" I asked, leaning over the back of the couch so I could read over her shoulder. Ami shrugged as she shifted to make it easier for me to see. It seemed to me she was focused on an article about the string of grisly murders that had the police baffled. There was a sigh from Ami as she folded the paper and put it away. She looked conflicted.

"What's up?" I prompted, reaching out and settling my hand on her shoulder briefly before straightening. I still had things to do, despite the fact I wanted nothing more than to waste the day away with her.

"Just thinking about Rei..." She replied softly, setting the folded paper on the coffee table beside her. She cradled her mug of tea in both hands. "I'm worried about her."

"Yeah?" I asked, moving back towards the kitchen to finish packing Ami's lunch. She followed behind me, taking a seat on one of the kitchen stools and sipping at her tea. A quick glace in her direction told me her expression was inscrutable.

"She just seems... different." Ami finished lamely, not to want to get into what was concerning her about Rei. I let out a laugh.

"She's always been different." I pointed out, still chuckling as I met her eyes. "And you stressing yourself out over it isn't going to make life easier for you or her. She's coming over tonight so why don't you talk to her about whatever it is that's worrying you?"

This coaxed a smile from her

"I guess I'm just thinking about things too hard again." She murmured.

"That always was your problem. Good thing you have me around to simplify things for you." I told her with another laugh, she smiled at me in return and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you for that Makoto." She told me simply but in her eyes I could see so much more. I grinned, happy that we'd finally reached the point where we could just admit that we loved one another. Things were easy between us.

 **REI**

I let myself rest against the couch for a moment longer, feeling the hardwood flooring beneath my feet. I was still absently rubbing at the old injury.

I got up slowly off the floor, applying slight pressure to my chest where the ache seemed to have set deep within my bones. It was the same sensation I'd felt in my arm the night before. I glanced down at the front of my shirt where the bruise would be and I gave a deep sigh as I made my way to the washroom. As I opened the door I moved my hand up to my eyes, rubbing at them momentarily as I tried to rid myself of the exhaustion I felt.

When I opened my eyes again I was facing the mirror, again my gaze was drawn to my cheek; looking for the series of scars I knew should be there. It was odd seeing my body unmarked. Something about seeing those scars would have been reassuring to me. Maybe it was because seeing them on my skin would confirm to me that I wasn't completely insane.

I sighed, turning on the shower. Perhaps the hot water would drown out these thoughts.

However as I got into the shower I only became more consumed with my thoughts on the past and present. I braced my hands against the tiled wall of the shower and hung my head, letting the water run down my face, hoping that it would wash away some of these negative thoughts and memories. The water was certainly refreshing and it was doing wonders for soothing my aching body... but it wasn't necessarily helping me clear my head.

It was only after the water had begun to run cold that I decided to stop trying to drown myself in the shower and get on with the day. I dried off quickly, ignoring the ripples of pain that echoed throughout my body. Another glance at the mirror showed massive bruising that appeared to be consuming me whole.

Again my eyes flicked across my form, searching for scars I knew no longer existed. There were some days I wanted to carve those marks back into my flesh, almost like I wanted to try to do something to bring back the others memories of our past. I hung my head again, letting out another shaky breath. I quickly splashed some cold water over my face before throwing on my sweats and t-shirt again.

I reached to pick up the phone. I needed to call her, I needed to talk about this before I completely lost my mind. Before I did something idiotic.

I dialled quickly, bringing the phone to my ear as I grabbed my smokes from the other room then returned to leaning back against the wall of the bathroom, staring at myself in the mirror as I brought an ember to life at the end of my cigarette.

I just needed some reassurance right now. After that I'd be less likely to cause damage to myself or to something around me. Over the past few years I'd thrown out more broken mirrors, cups, and plates than I cared to admit. I was at the point that I avoided glass whenever possible.

The phone only had time to ring once before she picked up.

"Rei?" She asked, her voice sounding concerned. Instantly I felt more stable and grounded. "Is everything alright?"

I gave a weak smile as I breathed out smoke.

"Yeah, Michiru, everything's fine. I just..." I paused doing my best to think of how to phrase it as I carefully studied the glowing tip of my cigarette rather than my own reflection in the mirror. "I just needed to hear your voice."

"You're having a hard time, aren't you?" She asked softly. In the background I could hear Hotaru and Haruka making noise, getting ready for the day no doubt.

I couldn't think of what to say to her. I still never really knew how to talk about this kind of thing with her. I knew she was used to me not necessarily liking myself but it was still hard for her to hear. I inhaled another dose of nicotine, tar, carcinogens, and smoke. I could hear Michiru exhale softly through the phone. A door shut on her end, drowning out the sound of Haruka and Hotaru.

"I had the feeling you'd be giving me a call." Michiru told me gently. "I drew a picture of you this morning... of the old you. I just got that feeling, you know? That one where inspiration just hits me and I have no idea where it comes from... and then when I get far enough into it, I realize that it was from you."

There was silence between us for a time, I could hear her soft breathing on the other end of the line; I simply shut my eyes and just listened to that familiar sound as I smoked. Michiru cleared her throat before she continued talking.

"I drew you with such pained eyes I could hardly bring myself to finish the sketch. I still hate seeing you like that." Michiru continued. "Sometimes I forget how beautiful you were, how beautiful you are. This drawing just reminded me of all of that, of everything that you've meant to me over the years."

I could hear the worry coming through her voice more clearly now, it sounded like she was trying to talk me back from the edge. I finally found the courage to speak again.

"Don't worry about me, Michiru. I've just been thinking too much lately." I told her. I could her hum in what sounded like agreement; it could have just been her trying to avoid an argument though.

"Do you mind if I ask what you've been thinking too much about?" She asked me. I could hear the underlying question though. Why did I draw the old you? Why was there such a focus on the scars?

"Is it wrong that I miss them?" I asked her, not sure I should even be bringing this up.

"Miss what, Rei?" Michiru questioned, I knew from experience she wanted to be as clear as possible with me. With the others she would allow vagaries and muddled conversation but with me she always wanted clarity.

"The scars. I feel like an idiot for saying it but..." I said, feeling more and more ridiculous bringing this up as I went on. I almost brought my finger brushing along the smouldering, red-hot end of my distraction.

"Rei. _No_ , it's not stupid. There was so much of your history written over your body that... I imagine seeing yourself now is a bit alarming." Michiru told me firmly. I nodded, flicking the cigarette butt into the sink. "Sometimes when I see you, I can hardly believe that your skin is unmarred. I don't miss seeing that evidence of your pain... but I can understand what _you_ might miss about it. It was a such a big part of you, it showed that you had survived."

"Thanks." I murmured lowly, running a hand over my face. "I needed to hear that. I just need to know that I'm not completely crazy."

"Any time Rei." Michiru replied, sounding like she was smiling. I let out another breath, this time it wasn't shaky. It was calm and much more controlled. I had the feeling that I'd be able to make it through the day. I would be able to cope now, cope without doing anything ridiculously idiotic.

"We should have you over sometime soon, for breakfast or something. Its been far too long since we've seen you. Too long since you've been around..." Her voice trailed off slowly as if she didn't know how to finish that sentence. I understood though, she was thinking I hadn't been around those with _the memories_ enough. "The four of us have left you alone for too long."

"You all have lives, you're busy – I'm busy, that doesn't mean that you've left me alone."

"You say that, but I don't believe you. Rei, just know that you can always talk with me about anything, okay?"

"I know, Michiru. You'll always be there for me, I have no doubts about that." I said, hoping that I sounded reassuring and positive. I was about to start saying goodbye when Michiru spoke up again.

"Rei, just one more thing I wanted to bring up."

"Yeah?" I asked, suddenly feeling concerned over her tone. Was something wrong with her or her family?

"That drawing, in it the wound you got when you.." Her voice hesitated slightly, I could sense the swell of emotion behind it. "Died... Well, it was bigger than I remember it being. Is there something going on with you that you're not telling me?"

"I honestly don't know. Give it a few days and I'll get back to you, okay?" I admitted, knowing that I could trust Michiru to give me time and space to sort things out on my own... and not pester me for my thoughts on the matter.

"I'll text you later to figure out when we'll have you over. And when we get together I want to hear about all of it then, you hear me?" Michiru stated, her words taking on a vaguely commanding edge. "Even if it turns out to be nothing I expect you to share your thoughts and concerns, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing Princess." I told her with a grin, the tightness that had been wrapped around my chest released slightly. Talking to Michiru always made me feel better. "Talk later okay?"

"Bye Rei. I'll say hi to the rest of the family for you. Hotaru will be pleased, she's been missing you." Michiru replied before hanging up. I tossed my phone onto my bed as I walked towards my closet. It was time to get ready to meet the day.

 **MICHIRU**  
"I take it that was Rei?" Haruka asked me as I walked back into the kitchen, she had a light dusting of flour across her jeans and there was pancake batter splattered across her shirt. A quick glance at Hotaru showed similar evidence of a tussle of some sort. I sighed.

"I leave you alone for two minutes..." I stated, doing my best to sound disapproving rather than amused. Honestly, if Haruka didn't grow up soon Hotaru would leave her in the dust.

I got two matching grins in return before Hotaru returned to her breakfast and Haruka took a few steps closer to me.

"So?" She questioned, with an upraised brow. I gave a bit of a laugh and a shake of my head, I should have known I wouldn't be able to put her off.

"Yes. That was Rei." I told her.

"Everything alright with her, love? You don't normally leave the room when you two talk."

"Well, I'm not generally trying to compete with World War Pancake." I replied drily, getting a chuckle from Haruka and causing Hotaru to stifle her laughter. "But yes, it did sound like she was having a bit of a hard time. I invited her over for breakfast sometime in the near future, any idea when we'd all be free to get together?"

"She's available Christmas morning" Setsuna commented as she breezed into the kitchen. She was already prepared for the day which wasn't all too surprising; Setsuna was generally the first one up in the mornings so she'd probably been up for a couple of hours. If not longer.

"Good to know." I stated, smiling at her as she poured herself what I imagined was her third or fourth cup of coffee. Then my attention turned back to Hotaru. "How about you? If Rei comes over on Christmas for breakfast are you going to get out of bed early enough to see her?"

All I got in reply was an exaggerated roll of the eyes. I smiled fondly at her, sometimes she did things that reminded me so much of Haruka. Though I kept having the feeling that as time went on she would turn out more and more like Rei, her past would come to weigh heavily on her shoulders as well.

"Alright, so what's the plan for today?" Haruka asked, drawing our attention to her again. "I know you've got to be at office downtown in half an hour Sets, but what about you Michiru? Who's dropping the Firefly off at school? You or me?"

I glanced at Hotaru quickly, her gaze was focused on Haruka eagerly.

"I was planning on dropping by the recording studio later today, I wanted to work a bit more on those new compositions of mine. If I get all that sorted out at a reasonable hour I was planning on coming back here to finish of that painting I started a few days ago." I replied, knowing that Hotaru wanted Haruka to drop her off.

"I think it's your turn today, Haruka. For a stay-at-home _dad_ you certainly don't do enough of the pick ups or drop offs." Setsuna commented, obviously catching Hotaru's look as well.

"Not my fault that you two both pass by the school on your way into town. Plus I work from home, that's not the same as being a stay-at-home dad." Haruka replied seeming annoyed but she sent Hotaru a wink." But I'd love to give Hotaru a lift to school. Maybe we can swing by..."

"Oh _s_ _weet_ _ie_...driving her to school does mean that you have to get her there on time." Setsuna chided her, drawing a laugh from Hotaru and I while Haruka looked vaguely guilty.

"Alright, alright. I'll get her there on time." Haruka surrendered. "Speaking of which kiddo, you all packed? Generally now is about the time you start panicking about being late."

Together the three of us watched as Hotaru's gaze jerked to the clock on the wall, her eyes widened slightly and I could just imagine her spitting out some of the swear words Haruka and Rei were guilty of teaching her. Only a stern look from Setsuna and I stopped them from slipping out.

"Well, I should be on my way, the traffic will be terrible this morning. Do try and keep that in mind, Haruka." Setsuna said, kissing her on the cheek softly before settling a hand on my shoulder. "And don't worry about Rei too much today, alright? She'll work things out in her own time."

I nodded, sharing a brief hug with her before she left the house. It was then that Haruka leaned back against the counter, looking at me again.

"I saw that picture you were working on earlier." She commented with a frown. I sighed.

"I think she's struggling with this whole situation more than she lets on." I finally admitted. Haruka's frown deepened.

"Yeah, I get that. It's what's worrying me. If you..." Haruka stated, obviously starting to bring up our past physical intimacy and relationship. Rei and I had a history in this world similar in many ways to our history in the old world. We'd been close growing up and that closeness had only increased as we grew older. It wasn't surprising that Haruka felt as she did.

"It won't come to that Haruka. We... we're past that now, you know that. We have been since you and I got married." I reassured her, knowing that all this time she was probably still more insecure about Rei's presence than she let on. "It's been three years since we've even thought about getting involved like that."

"I'm just saying I know what happens when you see Rei in pain. You get this..." Haruka started to reply and I felt like the old disagreement from our past life was resurfacing.

"And I'm telling you that you don't need to worry..." I cut across her, only to be silenced by Haruka. A rare show of actual annoyance on her part where I was concerned.

"Michiru, shut up and listen for a moment, okay?" Haruka said, a bit of frustration coming into her tone. I held my tongue. "All I'm trying to say is that if she needs it and you want to provide it..."

Her voice trailed off and she nodded.

"I get it." She finished, giving me a bit of a grin. "Just do what you feel you need to. We all love her and we don't want to see her rip herself apart again, yeah?"

I felt my love for Haruka swell within me again, I crossed the kitchen; bringing my lips into contact with hers. Her hand slid up the backs of my legs, coming to rest on...

"God you two. Get a room." Hotaru muttered, sounding disgusted. I parted our lips, resting my head against Haruka's chest for a moment, just taking pleasure in hearing her heart beat. Haruka's hands came to rest more innocently on my back.

"Love you, babe." Haruka said, leaning down for one last quick peck on the lips. "But I should get Hotaru to school before she decides to wash her eyes out with bleach or something."

I heard Hotaru grumble something under her breath as she turned towards the door, slipping her feet into her shoes as Haruka sauntered after her.

"Have a good day you two." I called after them, hearing their laughter as they exited the house. I cast one quick look over the kitchen, which had seemingly served as their battlefield, before deciding I'd just leave it for Haruka. When they made messes like this... I felt absolutely no inclination to clean them up.

 **REI**

I ended up heading in to work later than usual, deciding that the paperwork I had with me would allow me to stay at home a bit longer. I was still working but I got to avoid my actual place of work for as long as possible... though that did bring with it certain complications.

I had hardly stepped through the door of the office at headquarters when I was confronted by several frantic looking employees. I gave a deep sigh, knowing that this day would not pass quickly. I had only planned on staying here for a few hours before going to my actual place of work and dealing with the more mundane problems... but it seemed that yet another catastrophe had befallen the company.

Just another typical day at A.E.D. headquarters.

I passed off the paperwork I had completed to my father's secretary before meeting the eyes of the CFO, he probably had the most urgent problem I had to deal with. I nodded for him to take a seat before looking to the others.

"There's a perfectly comfortable waiting room just outside this door. Go use it." I growled, watching as they scattered.

I took a seat at my desk, doing my best to conceal the lingering soreness I was feeling.

"I forgot how charming you were." The CFO chuckled, I raised an eyebrow causing him to clear his throat and get down to business.

It was the typical shit; asset procurement, financial stewardship, and strategic expansion. The moment I had seen him in the room I knew what this meeting would entail; he was basically running through the status of the company so I could pass on any new information to my father when we next met up. It was fairly basic stuff, so I barely paid attention to him.

Instead I found my mind wandering to Minako, as it so often had of late. More and more I was questioning if it was all worth it, everything I did or was going to do. Sometimes I just wanted to get away from it all and go back to how things used to be. Back to when things were simple.

I could still remember with remarkable clarity the night that we had officially broken up. It wasn't so much of a break up really, it was more that we had been headed in two separate directions. I was tied to a path even though I wanted to follow Minako to the end of the Earth; but I couldn't bring myself to abandon the path I was on. I still wanted her to chase her dreams just as much as she wanted to pursue them. I saw no real reason to stop her from leaving if that's what she wanted.. And she saw no reason to stay... Not that I asked her to.

Probably a mistake looking back on how things were going. She was mad at me for not joining her or not asking her to stay. Either way were hadn't parted on the best of terms, my parting quip probably hadn't helped much either.

Let me know when you figure out what you want. Who the fuck says that as a goodbye? I mean sure I was sore over the fact that she didn't see our relationship the same way that I did but I'd been dealing with that for the last decade or so. I should be fucking used to it by now.

I sighed, realizing I should probably let the past stay in the past as much as possible and concentrate on the problem at hand. The shadows weren't going to take care of themselves.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat, I looked up from where I was glaring at the financial summary.

"Um. Are you alright? You seem a bit distracted." The CFO asked cautiously. I frowned.

"Fine. Other than the fact this is shittiest summary I've ever read. Why the fuck did your department print it out in size 8 font? I'm too young to be wearing reading glasses." I replied, doing my best to act as though I was actually paying attention. I catching the slight smile he gave me, he was probably relieved something wasn't actually wrong.

"Now if that's all, I'd appreciate it if you sent in the project manager for site 7. It seemed like we needed to go over the development schedule for the fifth time this week." I told him, he nodded as he stood up.

"Say hello to your father for me when you see him. We've missed seeing him around the office."

"I assume you want me to give you an update on his condition when I can as well?"

"That would be wonderful. Thanks kid." The CFO said as he left the room. I scowled again. Sometimes I hated the fact that I grew up around the guys at my father's company. They all seemed under the impression that my father and I actually got along. It made things tiring, my father wanted us to keep up appearances... which I had little interest in doing.

I glared at the door while waiting for the next problem to enter my office. Sometimes I wished I wasn't so worried about people finding out about my abilities. Lighting this place on fire was far too tempting sometimes.

 **MINAKO**

"You do realize that this is your fault, right?" A familiar voice asked me, the tone riding the almost indistinguishable line between amused and annoyed.

I refrained from saying what was really on my mind, we were at work; I had to keep things professional. We could work together and I would not let whatever personal feelings I may or may not have get in the way. I'd given up too much of myself for this career to do anything less.

"Yes, _Kunzite_ , I do realize that." I replied, my voice dangerously close to a snarl despite my best efforts. He sent me an easy, taunting, grin. "Fucking asshole."

"Just so long as you realize that, _beautiful_ " He replied, leaning back in his seat. I fought the urge to roll my eyes and gave a theatrical sigh. He drove me absolutely insane sometimes. The amused, cocky, expression on his face had yet to fade. Finally my resolve broke and one of my feet snaked out and connected with the leg of his chair; a shame as I had been aiming for _his_ leg.

"You're my manager, its supposed to be your job to stop this kind of scheduling conflict from happening." I

"You do know that's not actually my job, right?" He asked with a raised brow. This time it was my turn to send him a smile

"It is if you want to keep your job." I replied in an almost taunting tone. He lowered his feet from where they rested on my desk with a sigh... there was a hint of a smile in his eyes though and a very noticeable warmth in his emotions.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that right?" He prompted as he got to his feet. He paused in the door way. "And you know you haven't eaten yet today... you want me to pick something up? You do have a show tonight, I don't want you to push yourself too hard.

"You know you love me." I quipped, unable to help myself. He rolled his eyes. "And don't push myself too hard? You're worried about that now, usually you''re all ' there's a deadline, Minako. You need to focus on work'. You're obviously just concerned that I might have to take time off and your company would lose money."

"Exactly,... because what other possible reason could I have to be concerned about your health?" He remarked. "Anyway, let me know when you figure out what you want. I'll go an pick you up something to eat, because apparently I'm your personal assistant."

I nodded thankfully before he turned and exited the room, leaving me to my work. I'd been having trouble with a few of the songs for my next album... and add that to an extremely busy schedule crowded with touring dates and the premier of one of my films, I was fairly close to exhausted.

I sighed, already wishing that Kunzite was back in the room with me. Without him here the silence and pressure seemed almost overwhelming... only problem with that was it was really hard to do work with him in the same room as me. It always seemed that there was a distraction of some sort or another with him around. Sometimes he caused more problems than he solved.

 **AMI**

As I scrubbed down for surgery, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to Rei. She had been one of my best friends growing up but over the last few years she had become increasingly distant. I was fairly certain I knew what was going on with her. She was hiding more and more from us... or at least she was trying to.

I'd noticed over the past few months that she was constantly trying to conceal various aches and pains from me. I couldn't help but be concerned even if I was always too afraid to ask what had happened. I didn't want my suspicions to be confirmed... especially since it meant she was in danger still.

In danger and enjoying it probably, she'd been coping poorly over her break up with Minako... well, poorer than I was expecting her to. It was like there was something else at work there too. Like she wanted to blame Minako for the whole ordeal but just couldn't.

I was used to watching the two of them cycle through their endless series of break ups and reunions, for five years they did that and then suddenly five years ago it all ended... and it seemed like this time maybe it was over for good. They both refused to speak to one another for a year after it happened but slowly they had begun to talk again.

And by talk I mean occasionally text one another with congratulations over important events or send along birthday greetings. I still wasn't sure if they'd had a conversation that lasted longer than five minutes... that wasn't done through writing. Actually I wasn't sure if they'd even spoken over the phone, let alone in person.

All I knew for certain was that Rei's anger was turning inwards and she was taking risks now.

"Ami, you ready?" My supervisor asked, nudging me in the ribs with his elbow as he pulled on his gloves.

"Yes sir." I replied, immediately dispelling all of my previous thoughts and focusing on the matter at hand.

"You sure?" He asked, meeting my eyes for a second. I knew he was concerned over the fact that the surgery we were prepping for was going to be a nasty one. He was a good mentor, he'd taught me more about surgery and actually dealing with patients than the rest of my schooling and supervisors combined; he kind of treated me like his apprentice, focusing more on me than was probably necessary.

"You're wasting time." I pointed out, getting down to business. We really didn't have any time to screw around.

"That's my girl." He commented with a smile before stepping through the door. I followed him, shaking my head at the term of endearment.

And then all smiles died as we took in the amount of damage we were going to be dealing with. I'd be lucky if I wasn't late for dinner.

 **SETSUNA**

I idly scrolled through the news site as I waited for my dinner companions. As usual Hotaru was making them late but I suppose I couldn't blame her for that. She deserved to be a normal teenager for once, the time would come where she would have to give up that normal life but we would do our best to put that off for as long as possible.

I paused at one of the articles on the upcoming election, seeing it accompanied by a familiar face. I smiled at the phone before navigating my way to my contact list. It seemed that I would be skipping dinner with the rest of the family to pursue something more... dangerous.

I didn't focus on the text I was writing to Michiru but rather I looked across the restaurant to the bar, where the subject of the news article sat. Her red hair cascaded down over her shoulders in luxuriant waves. Despite the fact I knew she would be there her beauty still took me by surprise.

I rose from my seat and approached her, feeling like it was the most natural thing in the world... Like I was finally right where I was supposed to be.

"I suppose it's time that I buy you a drink." I stated, seating myself on the bar stool next to her; gesturing at the bartender to draw his attention. Beryl looked over, the words telling me to fuck off died on her lips when she saw who I was.

"Setsuna." She breathed, her voice sounding reverent, looking almost at a loss for words.

"You were just wondering if, and when, you would see me again. Speak of the devil and all that, I find it somewhat amusing how that happens. Well, for people who aren't me I suppose."

"You're really here." Beryl noted, still somewhat disbelieving.

"I'm always here." I told her with a smile, it had been extremely tempting to contact her before this point but somehow I resisted the urge. I knew it would be an enjoyable evening together if I waited for it.

"The Senator will have a Cognac and I'll have another glass of wine." I said to the bartender as he approached the two of us. Beryl smiled.

"From anyone else that would be annoying." She commented, reaching over and brushing her fingers against mine. I smiled, enjoying the fact that I finally got to see her again. It had been a long wait.

"So, how is the campaign going?" I questioned.

"As if you don't know." Beryl laughed. "But it's going well enough, that doesn't stop it from being exhausting though."

"It doesn't leave much time to look for old friends does it?" I prompted, knowing that she hadn't found any of the others from the past life yet. I was the first she had come in to contact with.

"No. It doesn't, not that I didn't try; it was just..." Beryl let her voice trail off as the bartender set down our drinks in front of us.

"The world is far bigger than it used to be." I commented, enjoying the amusement I saw play across her face.

"That it is." Beryl agreed, sampling her drink before continuing. "I wasn't even sure where to begin my search, I was hoping that with my name and face plastered across the news one of them would contact me but it seems I'm not that lucky."

"It's worse than you think. None of them remember what they've been through, none of the Terrans at least. Queen Serenity's... reset affected them just as it did the old guard. Well, aside from a select few."

"They don't remember?" Beryl asked, seeming torn between relief and loneliness.

"No." I told her, sipping at my glass of Merlot.

"You said a select few do remember, who?" Beryl asked me cautiously. I knew the conflict she was feeling. She partially believed these memories were a bit of a curse, with out them we would all have been able to pursue our hopes and dreams without having to worry about this responsibility.

"Artemis and Luna, the Queen's advisers to start. They were the only ones to have their full memories that Serenity planned on. She had them remember everything so they could try and steer the others towards the outcome she wanted."

"You say that like others remember... and Serenity didn't want them to."

"She wished to spare them the painful memories, just as you do for your generals. However not everything went according to plan. Haruka remembers everything, though I blame that on my influence. She and I have known each other... forever." I explained.

"And what of her partner, surely she remembers as well."

"She does but not for the same reasons. I believe that the power Serenity used on them was more closely focused on the Princess' protectors...it's the only reason I can see that both Haruka and Michiru's memories awakened and not the others. Anyway, Michiru remembers because someone she loved triggered her memories. Some part of Michiru couldn't stand to see her dearest friend suffering alone and so she fully awakened."

"Wait, are you saying Rei remembers everything?" Beryl asked sounding hopeful yet horrified.

"I am not sure how she remembers what she does... she simply does. One of the many mysteries surrounding her I suppose."

"She's going to be a turning point again this time around, isn't she?"

I couldn't so anything but nod. Beryl sighed.

"I almost wish I could just be a politician, those situations are so much less complicated than these ones can be."

I did my best not to bring up any more of the knowledge that I possessed... so we sat in silence for a bit, just enjoying our drinks and trying not to think about anything other than the moment.

"Do you want to get out of here?" Beryl asked. "Go some where we can catch up with out having to worry so much about what others hear?"

I gave her another fond look, knowing this was an attempt to get me to join her at her home. I placed a fair amount of cash on the counter and got to my feet.

"Shall we be on our way then?" I asked her, she gave me a dazzling smile and stood as well. Just as we reached the doors to the restaurant I paused.

"Ah, yes, one more item of business before we settle in for an enjoyable evening. This is where I'm supposed to tell you that Rei works at The Gaslight."

"What?" Beryl asked sounding shocked.

"You've been looking for her more intensely than you have been for the Terrans you used to know." I stated, it would work well enough as an answer. "And telling you this is supposed to get things in motion, however that can wait until tomorrow. She's having dinner with friends and you... are busy."

 **REI**

I slowly made my way up to the front door of Ami and Makoto's apartment, sliding my key into the outer lock. They'd gotten sick of me dropping down on to their balcony when I wanted to talk so they'd given me my own key. Still didn't solve the problem of actually having to wait around for them to come to the door but it was dry in here at least.

I shook my head slightly as I stepped inside, trying to rid my long hair of what water I could. The weather had taken a turn for the worse around noon today and hadn't cleared in the slightest. The world was probably just conspiring to make my night as miserable as possible... especially since the appearance of a shadow was almost guaranteed tonight. They'd been popping up with more and more consistency lately.

I made my way up to the fifth floor and went to the corner apartment, knocking on the door. Inside I could hear the faint sound of music being played... and the swift sound of footsteps coming to answer the door.

"Rei, how was work today?" Ami asked as I removed my jacket. The movement caused pain to radiate through my body. I gave a smile, trying to cover it up.

"Work was the same as always. How about you? Anything exciting going on?" I questioned, folding my jacket over my arm.

"At the hospital? Always." Ami replied with a bit of a grin as she took my jacket from me.

"Saving the world one patient at a time, huh?" I asked, knowing that Ami prided herself in her medical prowess. It was something she loved doing and it was good to see her have that in this life. I had the feeling that this was her calling in life.

"I wouldn't quite go that far." She told me with a bit of a laugh. I smiled at her, knowing that this modesty was a very significant part of what made her who she was.

"I'm fairly certain your patients would." I told her. "I mean you _are_ finishing up your trauma surgery fellowship."

She gave a shrug, she never saw herself as a hero or even someone doing something remotely worthy of praise. She just did it because it was what she loved. The intelligence. The learning. The saving. I decided to let the matter drop and move on. No point in flustering her.

"So it smells amazing in here... What does the master chef have on the menu tonight?"

"Why don't you ask her? She'll knows better than I do." Ami laughed, gesturing for me to follow her into the dining room.

"Hey Sunshine." Makoto greeted tauntingly from where she stood in the kitchen, in front of her there was a wide array of food set out on the counter. "Finally decided to make some time for your friends, hey?"

I rolled my eyes.

"I already apologized for this morning." I muttered. "I really hope this dinner isn't just some elaborate ploy to poison me or something as revenge."

Makoto laughed.

"And ruin perfectly good food? Sorry Rei, but you're not worth that." Makoto told me. I smiled.

"So what food aren't you ruining on my behalf?" I questioned, Makoto chuckled to herself again.

"For the appetizer were having a pesto chicken flat bread followed by beef fillets, butternut squash and..."

I smirked, deciding to try and annoy her back.

"So do you need help making this pizza or steak?" I asked. Makoto tossed a dish cloth at me.

"Shut the hell up Rei." She told me, Ami laughed at the two of us. "And you'd think that after all this time you'd have some more respect for the art that is cooking."

"Hey, I am financing your restaurant. I figured that would be enough respect between the two of us." I quipped back, then leaned forward against the counter. "But seriously, you were cooking all day at work, you sure you don't want help?"

"No. I got this. Go sit your ass down." Makoto told me with laughter in her voice, pushing me towards the living room.

"Have it your way then." I told her, smiling as I left her alone in the kitchen. Once in the living room I took a seat on one of the couches. Ami sat down beside me, giving me a soft, almost shy, smile. It was an expression I hadn't seen in years.

"Where'd all that hard won confidence go there, Doc?" I asked, nudging her lightly. She gave a small shrugging motion.

"It always seems to disappear when I have to talk to you about something important..." Ami admitted.

"You wound me." I commented dryly. Ami nudged me in the arm, rolling her eyes.

"Don't give me that. You're still kind of an intimidating person even after all this time. Especially when I know you won't like the conversation." Ami told me. "And sometimes I think you like that... being intimidating, I mean."

I chuckled.

"It's a handy skill to have sometimes." I replied. "But _you_ can talk to me about anything. Even if I won't particularly like it. We've been through a lot together, you've earned that right, Ami." I reassured her, even knowing that she couldn't remember most of the times I was referring too.

"Okay, I'll just get to the point then." Ami said sounding reassured. She gave a sigh, then the words came out in a rush like she just wanted this talk over with. "I saw you wince when you were taking off your jacket. Add that to the myriad of other anomalies in your behaviour over the last five years... I know you're hiding something. And I'm fairly certain I know what it is."

I looked away. I had known this talk was coming, she was always the most observant one on the team.

"Rei, I know you're keeping this a secret for a reason. I don't know the reason but I know you have one, so I'm going to respect that. I just – I just want you to know that I know. And I want you to come see me if you have problems."

"That an order, _Doctor_?" I asked her with a smile.

"Yes, that's an order." Ami said sternly, not amused by my attempt at a joke. "Now, while we're waiting for Makoto to finish cooking, is there anything else I should know about?"

I knew that tone. Her words weren't a question; instead, she was demanding the truth about my injuries.

"Some bruising. Nothing serious." I told her, not mentioning the event with the shadow the night before. There was no point in bringing it up until I knew what exactly was going on, if it had been a severe injury I would have spoken but the fact that it was less intense than I was used to was... puzzling.

There were too many questions I couldn't answer so I was just going to ignore it until I had more to go on.

"Nothing's broken? No broken bones or stab wounds that need tending?" Ami asked, there was an oddly relieved tone in her voice and I almost felt guilty about leaving out the incident from last night.

Physical contact of that type with a shadow was rare and usually it left very distinctive wounds. The fact that I hadn't been harmed in the typical manner was... disconcerting at best. The lasting ache seemed almost ominous.

"No. Nothing serious." I reassured her, keeping my concerns to myself. I'd trouble her with it when I actually knew what was going on.

"What happened? I mean, how did you get hurt?" Ami asked, relaxing a bit.

"I fell... into a building." I said, giving a bit of a shrug. At Ami's skeptical expression I amended my answer. "Well, actually I was thrown."

"How bad is it really?" Ami asked, cringing a bit. I decided to be completely forthright with her over this one.

"Got some bruising on my back, stomach, and chest. Had a bit of road rash but the worst of it has healed."

"You didn't crack any ribs did you?"

"Might have. Hurt a fair bit last night but I'm doing better today." I told her, wondering what she'd do if I had.

"I assume this is why you missed out of out coffee date this morning?"

"Actually, I just slept in. It wasn't like I was housebound due to the severity of my injuries. It was an honest mistake." I told her, rolling my eyes. Even if my injuries had been more severe I would have met up with them. I'd just overslept.

"Nothing about you is honest, Rei." Ami muttered, sounding amused. "I'm glad to hear you're okay though."

I smiled at her, choosing not to question her comment about my honesty. She was probably right, I hadn't been completely honest with any of them in years. And she knew it.

And she still trusted me despite all that. She didn't care about my honesty, or lack thereof. If anything, it seemed to be one of my more endearing traits in her mind. I shook my head, a certain familiar fondness building up inside of me again as I felt myself give a bit of a smirk; trying to hide the guilt that was lingering.

 **AMI**

"You're too nice to me, you know that?" Rei commented with a smile, it wasn't her usual smile... it seemed almost sad. I nudged her in the side.

"And the day you no longer deserve it is the day I'll stop." I told her, I sincerely doubted that Rei could do anything to make me believe she didn't deserve my friendship. She had been there for me without question or judgement any time I needed her. And every time she felt I was having trouble she would step in and do her best to make my problems go away. It was something I had never really understood about her; she had a driving need to try and fix things.

Some times I wondered why Rei put up with our crap like she did, she always seemed so much more content interacting with people outside of our main group of friends. People like Michiru and Setsuna. They were still dear friends but when we were younger... well, it was just the five of us. The others flitted in and out of our lives but Rei was really the only one who seemed to connect with them on that next level.

Rei looked more at home and more at peace with them than she did with us. Every time she saw us it was like she got sad or wistful for something I didn't understand. She enjoyed herself but there was that sense of... pain or nostalgia about her. It had lessened somewhat when Minako and her broke up but occasionally I could still see it.

"You two done talking in here?" Makoto asked, poking her head into the room. I nodded, getting to my feet as Rei followed suit.

"Do you need us to do anything?" Rei asked, earning herself a dish cloth to the face.

"Just go sit down Sunshine." Makoto ordered to which Rei gave a smile and a sarcastic salute. I laughed, glad to see her and Makoto interacting like this. They had been good friends practically since the day they met and they were good influences on one another. Makoto helped Rei loosen up and enjoy herself where Rei helped Makoto by being someone who she didn't have to worry about relying on. Makoto, for some reason, trusted Rei more completely than anyone else she knew.

Together, Rei and I sat down for a long over due get together; watching as Makoto loaded the table with food.

"Is an army joining us for dinner?" Rei asked, raising an eyebrow at the amount of food Makoto had cooked.

"No dumbass, I just am sick of you eating take out every damn meal."

"It's not _every_ meal." Rei retorted, Makoto rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, 'cause you skip the others." Makoto muttered under her breath. Rei opened her mouth to reply but I cut across her.

"How about you two children eat now nad fight later?" I suggested, both of them shrugged and began loading up their plates. Makoto paused before eating.

"Either of you two want something to drink while I'm up?" Makoto asked, looking to me first.

"I'll have whatever you're having."

"Sure thing sweetheart. One glass of wine coming up." Makoto replied with a grin and I caught the smirk on Rei's face as my face pinked a bit at the term of endearment. I still wasn't used to this between the two of us... at least in front of others. I aimed a kick at Rei under the table, fully aware of how funny she found me and felt a small bit of satisfaction when I saw her wince. Makoto chuckled and watched Rei, waiting for her answer.

"Just water thanks." Rei replied.

"Mmm. Right, I forgot you don't drink." Makoto hummed. Rei rolled her eyes.

"I don't drink _often_." Rei corrected. "Plus I think one bad habit is enough."

"Why the hell am I wasting good food on you anyway?" Makoto asked from the kitchen, her voice sounding amused. "It's not like a smoker can enjoy it to its full extent anyway."

Rei laughed and I felt my disapproval stirring again. It was good to see her and Makoto acting like this but really, they should not be making light of Rei's disgusting habit.

"I'm sure I'll enjoy it just fine Makoto. Your cooking is always nothing short of fantastic." Rei returned, then she caught the expression on my face.

"And Makoto, do you know how to lower the disapproval setting on your Ami-bot? It's getting a bit unnerving." Rei asked, looking at me instead of in Makoto's direction, a teasing expression on her face.

"Kissing usually works but I will send you through the window if you try that. Maybe try grovelling a bit. Or hey, novel idea, promise to stop smoking?" Makoto commented as she returned to the room with three drinks in hand. Rei sighed.

"Alright Ami, you win. I'll quit smoking." Rei said and for a second I believed her, until I caught the twitch at the corner of her mouth. I smiled as I gave a shake of my head.

"Liar." I acknowledged as both she and Makoto laughed, taking us back to younger simpler times. Time passed by quickly and before we knew it three hours had gone by and we were all starting to fade. I accompanied Rei to the door while Makoto packaged up some leftovers. Rei looked over to me as I rummaged in the closet for her jacket.

"Mm. Right, I forgot to ask over dinner. How are things going with your mother lately?" Rei prompted as she took her coat from me. This was a ritual she'd started years ago, knowing that my mother and I didn't always see eye to eye. I imagined that it was because of her own relationship that she had with her parental figure. I guess she thought my mother and I had a better chance at working things out than she did with her father.

"It's actually going quite well this time around. I mean we're not at the point where she's going to be coming for Christmas... But she's finally accepted that I'm not dropping everything I've built here to take that job across the country. I mean I can understand that she wanted us to work at the same hospital but..."

"You've got a good life here Ami. Just don't let your mom drift too far away. You take after her a fair bit. You're intelligent, driven, and just a tad too independent for your own good. It makes you both a bit lonely." Rei paused. "Just remember she doesn't have her own Makoto to look after her, what she's got is you... so don't give up on her, yeah?"

I stepped forward giving Rei a hug, I'd never heard anyone other than Makoto so aptly describe why my mother and I were so often at odds. Her insights never failed to surprise me, sometimes it was like she had a strategy guide showing her how to interact with each of us. Well each of us except Usagi but to be fair she was a bit... complicated.

"Are you sure you're okay managing that side project on your own?" I asked her, stepping back making sure she couldn't hide her face with a hug if she decided to lie to me. I knew all the tricks to picking up on her half truths, white lies, and intricate fabrications. She smiled at me, catching on to what I was doing.

"Yeah Ami. I got it for now, just waiting for a few more things to fall into place. I'll let you know if I need anything." She replied, this time I could see she was trying to be as transparent as possible with me. She still had things she wasn't bringing up but I didn't need to know everything. I just needed to know she wasn't struggling to cope with her task.

"Well, Rei I think it's about time you get out of here so Ami and I can have date night... or some shit." Makoto said as she leaned in the doorway, for some reason Rei laughed at this rather than getting offended at the unceremonious verbal eviction.

"It was good to see you too." She replied. "And thanks for having me."

"You really should come by the restaurant more often, you are technically a part owner." Makoto grinned, clapping a hand against Rei's shoulder.

"Nah, money has nothing to do with it; you're the owner and nothing is going to change that. And besides, if I went to see you there I'd never get to see Ami. We'll just have to try and have coffee on mornings where I don't sleep in." Rei joked.

"Well, just know you've always got a table reserved." Makoto assured her, passing the bag of leftovers that she'd packaged up for Rei.

"I'll consider it. Good night you two." Rei said before opening our door and stepping out into the hall.

"Don't get into too much trouble." I warned her, making sure to keep my tone light and teasing so as not to tip off Makoto. Rei lifted a hand in a half wave without turning back to face me as she walked down the hallway.

Hopefully she'd listen to me.

 **KUNZITE**

I dried off quickly, pulling on a pair of pyjama bottoms before leaving the bathroom. I knew Minako would be waiting to have a shower before bed. It was always the final stage in her relaxation process. It was the thing that calmed her busy mind just before bed, lulling her into sleep.

I looked out through the glass door to the balcony, watching Minako stare out at the bright lights of the city. She would always go outside to decompress after a show, no matter the weather. She needed space to let herself relax before doing anything else. If she skipped this step it would show for days. Her irritability would skyrocket, turning her into the most endearing mess of emotion and energy. Good for her creativity and sex life, not so much for mental stability.

I smiled at the thought of the few times I'd actually seen her like that and knocked on the glass twice, when she turned around I nodded my head in the direction of the bathroom.

"I'm done in there." I told her, knowing she'd understand my words even if she couldn't hear them. This was a common enough ritual for the two of us. "Come in whenever you're ready."

She flashed a small smile at me, her dazzling expression lighting up my world before she turned away again to look out at the skyline. I watched her for a moment longer before going to sit down. I sank down into the soft leather couch as I propped my still aching feet up on the coffee table. Today had to have been the longest day in existence.

I let out a long contented sigh as I reach for the remote and turned on the TV. Even with the distraction of the television I found my attention drawn back to the woman of my dreams. Seconds stretched into minutes as I just found myself watching her. The gentle sway of her hips as she shifted position, the way her hair fell down her back just barely blowing in the breeze. And exhausted as she was, she was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Everything about her just radiated warmth and kindness, it was like everything that made this world good was shown in her and her alone.

"What are you looking at?" She asked as entered the room and caught me staring.

"Just you." I replied, not knowing what else to say. There weren't words to convey what exactly I saw when I looked at her.

"Just me? No compliments in there? You're slipping Kunzite." She told me with the first hint of laughter in her voice as she leaned down for a kiss. I brushed my lips against hers briefly, catching the look in her eyes. She was tired. I leaned back against the couch, the fondness in my eyes never leaving.

"C'mere." I told her, patting the seat next to me trying to tempt her into sitting down for a few moments. She joined me, curling against my side, her face rested against my bare chest as I ran my hand through her hair. My arm was draped around her body, holding her as close as I dared.

"I shouldn't be doing this right now." She told me, her voice hushed like she was admitting something illicit. The amused tone of her voice let me know her mood.

"And why not?" I asked her lightly.

"Because I'm gross right now, all dried sweat and exhaustion." She replied, even as she said this her eyes were dropping shut. Her protest was nothing but a front.

"You think I care about that?" I asked quietly. "You're perfect... aside from the exhaustion."

"You always did find the best moments to cuddle." She remarked, a tinge of sarcasm in her voice. I smiled, letting my head rest against the cushions. It was the most ordinary of days for us, and that was what made it so infinitely important.

"Minako, I need to talk to you." I whispered, softly running my hand up and down her arm. The motion was slow and deliberate, it was meant to relax her even though it was probably the only thing keeping her awake at the moment.

"Hmm?" She murmured, clearly meaning for me to continue.

"I'm going to sound like a pathetic sap when I say this but I've known you were the only one for me from the first moment I met you. I looked at you and I saw... everything I could ever want. It was like looking at eternity."

I could feel Minako's expression change, the slightest hint of her muscles shifting against the skin of my chest. I looked down, catching sight of that smile of hers. I returned it with an easy smile of my own as she opened her eyes and looked up at me.

"I know. Corny as hell, right?" I asked, catching sight of the laughter around her lips. I reached down with my free hand and stroked a thumb along her bottom lip. Her eyes were shining with emotion as I continued. "Minako, when I say that I saw eternity in you I mean that you're the first person I've ever considered a future with. You're someone I want to be with forever. Minako, what I'm trying to say is will you marry me?"

AN: Sorry that took longer than expected. I ended up working in the middle of nowhere again and the internet access is shitty. I'll try and be better about updating the stories but I can't promise anything. Just know that I am still trying to make this whole updating thing work.


	3. Chapter 2: Staying Out Late

2.) Staying Out Late

The weight of the world is love.

Under the burden of solitude, under the burden of dissatisfaction.

\- Allen Ginsberg

 **REI**

The siren like alarm on my phone jerked me up out of bed, it felt like I had only just laid down. I looked over to my phone, my eyes still a bit blurry from sleep. One in the morning. I'd only had three hours of sleep as I had gone to The Gaslight after having dinner with Ami and Makoto.

I thumbed though my apps until I came to the one Artemis had installed, when it opened there was a map location and an estimated time of arrival. I frowned when I saw where it was going to appear in a half an hours time.

The arrival location was right in the middle of a heavily used part of the city, especially at this time of night and it was practically around the corner from my place of work. I groaned as I rolled out of bed, knowing that it would take me about twenty minutes to get there. Twenty five if finding parking was going to be as bad as I expected.

Though I supposed at this point finding parking really should be lower on the list of my priorities. A busy area meant that there was a greater chance of casualties... as well as drawing attention to myself. At least the area would more than likely be populated by drunks and partiers at this point, it'd be easier to escape notice. Generally they were more unobservant than others.

I cringed as I pulled on my jeans and fumbled for my phone again, stuffing it in my pocket remembering one of my daylight encounters with one of these things in the middle of a busy park. The newspapers had lost their shit over that attack but luckily I had escaped notice.

I haphazardly managed to put on a dark hoodie over my t-shirt. The park fiasco had taught me to always bring more to protect your identity than you thought you'd need and that you couldn't always rely on waiting in a concealed spot to spring your trap. I hadn't had anything with me during that encounter and had to do my best to escape notice, I'd been forced to act like just another civilian.

Only the careful placement of my impromptu arsenal and the clever use of bait had solved my problem with that particular shadow. A ruptured motorcycle gas tank and a small spark had allowed me to pull that off. I'd sacrificed my bike to do it but it kept me from having to go all human matchstick in the middle of a crowd.

I pulled on my leather jacket and grabbed my keys from the dish by the door as I slipped my feet into my boots. A quick glance at the window showed that it wasn't raining, I'd take the other motorbike. It'd be a hell of a lot easier to find parking for downtown. Even at this time of night.

Twenty-one minutes later I was cursing as I ditched my bike around the back of my club. This certainly wouldn't help me escape my employees notice, they all knew I avoided this place like the plague whenever I could. There were too many memories here with Minako before my father's company had taken over its management.

I sighed as I yanked off my helmet and pulled up my hood to at least partially conceal my face, then I took out my phone; it would now be able to tell me exactly where to go. I glanced down the darkened street, according to the map the shadow would appear just down this alley.

I gritted my teeth, not liking the fact that civilians were present. A few club-goers were out back having a smoke. I distractedly pulled out my own pack and lit up, doing my best to blend in and not attract undue attention until I couldn't avoid it any longer.

I leaned back against my bike, trying to ignore how much I hated the waiting. The anxiety and stress that would build up while I waited for the damn things to appear always threw me off a bit. I concentrated on my smoking, trying to appear casual while I kept an eye on the crowd of people.

After a few more moments they finished getting their nicotine fix and meandered back into the club. Or at least the majority of them did, one remained outside choosing to light up another smoke; possibly trying to sober up a bit before returning to the party. My frown deepened as I continued to puff on my smoke, seating myself more comfortably on the bike while I waited.

I turned my attention back to the street as a cop car pulled past. Silently I prayed that it wouldn't stop in front of my club; with Christmas drawing near and university students starting to come home for the holidays there were a fair number of under aged people trying to sneak into the bars and clubs.

It was a headache; there were more cops and more liquor inspectors frequenting the establishments; I'd briefed my staff on the issue and they were to check all IDs at the door for any one who looked under _forty_. It might have seemed like overkill but so far it had been effective, we'd had no slip ups so far but the season was far from over. And it seemed like every 'agent' in town was out to cause us a much hardship as possible.

I strolled to the end of the alley, taking a look at where the cop car was headed. Luckily it looked like they were just checking up on things for they hadn't stopped anywhere in particular. I turned back to the alley way, grateful that it had finally emptied out while my back was turned. I glanced down at my phone again trying to gauge how much time was left before the incursion.

We hadn't been able to improve the accuracy of the app any further than we already had... it was now just a matter of waiting and hoping it would be accurate enough to help me save lives.

Then a scream echoed down the alley towards me. I allowed myself a moment of annoyance before I gave a curse and broke into a run, making my way towards the scream as fast as humanly possible.

As I made my way though the darkened alley a disturbing scene began to play out before me. A shadow was loping after the woman I'd seen earlier. I swore loudly and launched myself at the human shaped shadow as the woman tripped.

Just as the shadow was about to gore her I tackled it, doing my best to wrestle it out of the woman's sight. We were tangled together as we hit the pavement, each scrambling to gain the upper hand.

I was momentarily distracted by the sudden squirming sensation along my arm and chest where I'd come into contact with the shadows previously, it twisted its way towards my heart spreading and expanding almost like an infection. My distraction allowed the shadow to tighten its grip on me... However this time when the shadow phased through my clothes to come into contact with my skin there was none of the pain. There wasn't even any of the numbness. Instead of the cold of last time, it was more of a tingling sensation; pins and needles that come with the warmth of blood returning to your extremities after waking a sleeping limb.

I pushed that aside as well, surging upwards and gripping the humanoid shadow around its throat with my bare hand. This time it was the one to seem surprised and I used this to wrangle it into submission... at least until I managed to toss it into a nearby dumpster and slam the lid on it.

That allowed me enough privacy to light it up, hiding away the flames inside the bin. I took a few steps back, watching the light that managed to escape from underneath the lid fade.

I brushed aside my growing concern over my interaction with the shadows and turned my full attention to the woman who was, understandably, losing her shit. I grumbled quietly to myself as I rounded the corner towards her, more annoyed by this than anything else. Just because I wanted to save people didn't mean I wanted to deal with them.

Dealing with the general populace meant coming up with cover stories to stop this kind of predicament from becoming front page news. As I approached the woman I realized this time... it might not be as hard as I thought it would be. She was fairly intoxicated and hopefully that, combined with the fact the shadow was more human shaped than I was used to, would make her more willing to believe whatever story I came up with. If I was lucky she was intoxicated enough to not even remember these events in the morning.

"What was that thing!? That monster?" The woman asked me, sounding close to hysterical. I raised my hands in a placating manner, saying the first thing that popped into my head.

"Uh, how intoxicated are you?" I asked, with a bit of a laugh. To me it sounded horribly forced but she seemed to relax a bit.

"What?" She asked, sounding like my laugh had caught her off guard enough to bring her level of terror down a bit.

"That was just... a normal guy." I lied, helping her to her feet. She swayed a bit once she was upright so I kept an arm wrapped around her waist to keep her steady. "He was stoned out of his mind, yeah, but definitely not a monster."

"Really?" She asked, sounding confused but reassured. I nodded, her confusion faded a bit; replaced by a bit of embarrassed annoyance with herself. "Wow, I must be a _way_ more drunk than I thought I was."

"Yeah, it happens." I muttered with an attempt at a smile. "Now where were you getting _way_ more drunk than you thought? I think I should get you back to your friends and get you all in a cab home. I think your night is pretty much over, hmm?"

"You're nice." She commented, giving me a bit of a drunken laugh. I tried not to let out an exasperated sigh; you'd think that owning a club would make me more tolerant of dealing with drunks but apparently not.

"So. Which club?" I asked again, dumbing down my question as much as possible.

"Light... something or other." She mumbled, leaning against me as I walked her out of the alley and turned towards the front entrance of the clubs.

"Gaslight?" I asked, hoping that I was guessing wrong. She laughed again, this time it was more of a giggle.

"Yeah that's it." She told me, sounding happy. I looked towards the entrance of my establishment; a small crowd had gathered there. The happy yells and laughter told me it was probably her group of friends. She slipped out of my grasp and wove her way towards them, answering their drunken questioning with half-yells of her own.

I finally allowed myself to let out a grumbling sigh as I went about flagging down one of the cabs, as I turned back in the woman's direction I was met by a pair of lips.

"Thanks for saving me." She told me before trying to pull me in for another kiss. I carefully extricated myself from her grasp and turned my attention to her friends.

"You should probably take her home before she passes out." I told them. "Wouldn't want to get yourselves tossed out of any bars, now would you?"

The rest of her crowd piled into the cab behind her, taking the rowdy drunken air with them. I sighed again, running a hand back through my hair.

It was then I heard one of the bouncers clear his throat. Tonight was just one of those nights that made me wish I had stayed home in bed.

"You're not supposed to be back here tonight." He commented, then glanced at the retreating cab before giving me a sly look. "But I guess I can't blame you for wanting to save a pretty woman. Especially if you get that kind of thank you."

"I can fire you, you know?" I told him. "And god, it is too early to be dealing with this. I'm going home to bed."

"Night boss." He called after me as I walked back towards my motorcycle, hoping that he wouldn't tell anyone about me showing up tonight. I didn't want to explain to anyone what I was doing in the area. Or why I showed up at the club for a second time on my night off. I shook my head again, wanting nothing more than to sleep for the next eternity and a half... it was a shame I had to be up early tomorrow.

 **MINAKO**

I awoke cradled in his arms like I was the most precious thing in the world. And to him I probably was. This was the first morning in what felt like years that I hadn't been jarred awake by an alarm. He'd probably shut it off sometime after I fell asleep last night.

"Good morning." I murmured against his chest. His arm tightened around me briefly.

"Morning Mina. I hope I didn't wake you up." He replied, when I gave him a curious look he chuckled and explained. "I ordered breakfast, it should be here pretty soon."

"Am I finally getting that breakfast in bed that you promised me three months ago?" I asked, teasing him. We hadn't been home since that day so he hadn't yet had the opportunity to cook for me. Kunzite laughed.

"I figure I owe you something special – some grand romantic gesture to show how much I love you." He told me.

"Why? Because you proposed last night and utterly failed in that regard?" I prompted teasingly.

"Yes." He replied, watching me with a shine of humour in his gaze. "What was I thinking? No flowers, no over the top display of my affection for you. I am, without a doubt, the poorest excuse for a boyfriend in the history of Earth."

"And yet, I still said yes." I continued, kissing his cheek softly. "I can't believe I put up with you. Worst _fiance_ ever."

"And?" He asked, this time there was a full fledged grin in place.

"And where's the damn ring?" I teased. "Or did the ever perfect Kunzite actually forget something?"

His grin became more pronounced at my words and his reply was interrupted by a knock on the door of our hotel room. He got out of bed and went to answer it but then he paused.

"Put that on, wouldn't want to give anyone a heart attack now would we? I mean they'd die happy but..." He asked as he tossed me his shirt from last night. I sat up in the bed, pulling on the shirt that wrapped me in his smell. It was like a protective shell between me and the rest of the world.

Kunzite opened the door, taking the tray of food from the waiter at the door. With a quick glance in my direction he called out over his shoulder.

"Now check the left pocket."

I reached down into the breast pocket, already knowing what I'd find there. I shook my head.

"Real romantic Kunzite." I commented sarcastically as I plucked the ring from the pocket of his shirt, I idly wondering how long he'd been carrying it with him. I paused when I saw it, it felt as though my breath had been stolen away.

"Kunzite..." I gasped. It was beautiful. He set down the tray at the foot of the bed and came and sat down next to me, gently taking the ring from my hand and sliding it on to my finger.

"I did good then?" He asked me with a bit of a grin. I leaned forward and kissed him soundly.

"You did good." I told him with a laugh, he laughed as well.

"Good." He replied with another smile, leaning in to kiss me again. I relaxed into it, still slightly disbelieving... How could I have possibly gotten this lucky?

 **REI**

Early the next morning I started the drive out to the country, making my way to my father's house. He had moved out of the city for his health; not that he was really relaxing like he was supposed to, he was still just as consumed by his work as he ever was... only now he was doing it from our vacation home.

I parked my car in front of the house and walked up the path. The door opened just as I reached it, my father's assistant, Silas, welcomed me inside.

"The Chairman is in the study." He told me as he took my coat and scarf. I nodded, of course he was in the study. When I had still been living under his roof, that was the only room I'd ever seen him occupy. His study, his work, was his life there was no room for anything else. Well, not after my mother died.

"How's he been doing?" I asked him, knowing that it was one of the things my father and I would never discuss. It was an unspoken rule between us. He was a proud man... and he refused to talk about his own weaknesses around me. I knew it had almost killed him to ask me to come help him run his company after he had fallen ill. And I wasn't about destroy what pride he had left by bringing up his 'short comings' around him. It was bad enough that he had to ask his estranged daughter to serve as his representative while he 'recovered'... he didn't need it constantly shoved in his face.

"He's doing as well as can be expected. Dr. Ross has advised that he get more rest and they've changed his medication regimen. Hopefully that will yield some more positive results." Silas told me. I nodded. "He has another appointment today. I'll do my best to keep you informed on the situation."

"Thank you." I replied, surprising myself with how sincere I sounded. The man gave a smile then gestured to the door at the end of the hallway.

"You better go, he's been waiting." He told me. I nodded and slowly made my way down the hall. I knocked before entering, shutting the door behind me quietly. My father was seated behind his desk, looking out the window at the fresh falling snow. He turned to study me as I approached.

"Good afternoon Rei." He greeted as he rose from his seat, giving a brief handshake. I nearly rolled my eyes – only in my family...

"Good afternoon sir." I replied, nodding my head slightly. He continued to survey me as he sat back down. "You wished to speak to me?"

"Please sit." He requested, gesturing at the chair across from him. As I sat down, he returned his attention to the window. I glanced out the window, staring out at the falling snow over the mountains. As the silence stretched on I looked back to my father, waiting for him to speak. There was a long sigh on his part before he looked at me again.

"How are you doing?" He asked as if he was trying to do this 'family-thing' properly.

"Well enough." I replied, he gave a curt nod. Somehow, it would seem that we never managed to get this part right.

"And my business?" He asked, I relaxed slightly. This was more familiar territory between the two of us.

"Well enough." I repeated, this time his eyes narrowed. I could tell that my answer wouldn't suffice. I sighed, of course he was more interested in his company than my well being. "If you would like me to be more specific you'll have to tell me what aspect of the company you're asking about."

There was a stony silence between us.

"I want to hear about everything." He told me coldly, almost daring me to question him. I nodded wearily and began reciting what I knew about the recent events at his company. I got the feeling he was testing me, making sure I was worth keeping around. The moment I proved to be even slightly inadequate would be the moment he would no longer have need for me.

"...and the Board of Directors say that we should be able to progress into stage three of development by the end of January." I finished idly, feeling completely uninterested in the conversation at hand. While I may have been adept at this business crap, I found it horribly dull.

"And what about sales at your establishment?" He asked, studying me closely.

"They're more than adequate." I told him. "We're up seven percent over last year, we're still working on boosting our food sales but our liquor sales have more than compensated."

"You _are_ working on boosting your food sales though, right?" He asked, giving a me a stern look. I nodded, meeting his eyes. I almost wanted him to challenge me for more information but he simply shrugged and changed the topic. "And how are the renovations at headquarters coming along? I hope you managed to resolve the issues we spoke about during your last visit."

"They'll be complete within the week."

There was another nod on his behalf. This one had an air of finality about it.

"Was there anything else you wished to talk about?" I asked him after there was a pause in the conversation. Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." My father barked. The door opened as a man walked into the room.

"Ah, Dr. Ross, good to see you again." My father greeted warmly, getting to his feet and shaking the man's hand. I got to my feet as well, half expecting an abrupt dismissal. My father's attention turned back to me.

"Good to see you as well." Dr. Ross replied, drawing my father's attention away from me for the slightest second. "And this must be Rei, correct?"

My father nodded, not saying anything.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." The doctor told me kindly, obviously sensing the rising tension in the room.

"Likewise doctor, now if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to." I told him. I glanced at my father, wondering if I should say goodbye or just get the hell out while I could. I chose the second option for obvious reasons... but just as I was closing the door behind me, my father called out.

"Rei, if you would wait for me in the sitting room, I will join you when I'm done here. We still have much to talk about."

I shook my head. Of course our meeting wasn't over – he hadn't lectured me yet. I left the room, shutting the door behind me quietly before walking through the house to the parlour. Silas glanced towards me as I entered.

"He asked you to stick around, did he?" He questioned idly, his eyes still focused on the newspaper he was holding. With his other hand he brought his coffee to his lips.

"I'm going to assume it's just because he hasn't yelled at me yet. That's always his favourite part of our meetings." I remarked wryly, Silas chuckled. He'd known my family for years, so he was quite familiar with the way things worked between my father and I. He folded the paper and set it aside.

"He's been rather anxious about the company the last few weeks." Silas commented, rotating his mug in his hands.

"I suppose that's not exactly doing wonders for his health... So much for rest and relaxation." I muttered, Silas looked like he agreed with me. There was silence for a few heartbeats before Silas broke it.

"How have you been?" He asked me. "I imagine it's stressful for you, taking over your father's responsibilities the way you have."

I shrugged, not really knowing what to say.

"I never got the feeling you particularly enjoy doing this Rei... so what keeps you here?"

"I have a responsibility to him and I need something to fill the day." I told him. He gave me a bit of an odd look.

"That was unenthusiastic... even for you." He told me. I shrugged, not really caring.

"It's not like people expect too much from me. I'm basically his glorified messenger... well, that and I manage one of his subsidiary business endeavours."

"While I don't necessarily agree with your summary of your job, I feel I must tell you that might change fairly soon." Silas commented. I looked over in mild curiosity.

"Are you saying he's going to fire me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. That certainly would make things more interesting for me.

Silas let out a laugh.

"God no. He would never do that." He told me. "He's too concerned about the future of his company for such a drastic action."

"Ah, right. He needs an heir to his company. How foolish of me..." I murmured. Silas didn't seem to have heard.

"Anyway, what I was saying was that you might be in line for a promotion..." Silas told me. "Your father has been impressed with your work and he thinks that you should have a more official position. Possibly his position... or one as his partner perhaps."

I bit down on my lip lightly, thinking this over. I had been satisfied with my position... it allowed me a degree of obscurity that I didn't think would be allowed if I progressed any further into his world. Right now I was just lingering on the borders, staying away from the politics that accompanied his title. I toed the line and upheld his reputation... and for that I was allowed my freedoms just so long as I was discrete about them. A relationship like that could only go so far though.

On the other hand, a management position brought with it certain perks. Chances were, with a management position, I would be allowed more autonomy within the company... and more control over our direction. This had a certain appeal, I was getting tired of constantly having to justify my actions to the board of directors and my father. The board of directors would be easier to handle if I was on equal footing with them. As for my father, he seemed ready to trust my judgement so I would be out from under his control if I took the promotion – and that would be a welcome freedom.

I sighed. I guess it would really come down to what kind of freedom I wanted to pursue... and how much I was willing to sacrifice to obtain that freedom. I looked over to Silas, he seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. He smiled.

"You've got some decisions to make, huh?" He said. I nodded slightly, studying him closely. I'd known this man for approximately half my life, having met him in my early teens. He'd become my father's assistant in his twenties... and they'd had a strong friendship despite the two decade age gap between. I frowned slightly as I thought this over. He was obviously someone my father trusted and valued. He had considerably more experience with the workings of the company than me... and he wouldn't be retiring for some time.

"So why isn't he promoting you?" I mused, finishing my train of thought out loud without meaning to. Silas looked like he didn't really know what to make of me... but then he chuckled.

"You always were a blunt one..." He acknowledged, giving me a looked that bordered on fondness. I gave a smile in return as I waited for him to answer.

"Rei, I know you and your father don't exactly have a great relationship, I mean ever since your mother died things have been..." Silas' voice trailed off and he gave a vague motion with one hand as he tried to come up with the right word. "Difficult. For both of you."

I wasn't making eye contact with him anymore, I disliked it when people brought up my mother. Before her death my father and I had functioned like a normal family. But the moment she had disappeared from our lives, there was nothing holding us together any more. We had fallen apart and it was something we'd never been able to fix.

"And after all these years Rei, I think this is his way of telling you that you're family. He's always considered his company a family business – despite it being a multimillion dollar company. I think he just wants to share that with you... to try and fix things. It's why he chose to contact you when he fell ill as opposed to bringing in outside help. He wanted to make you a part of his world. He'll never say it but I'm certain that's his reasoning behind it."

"I asked why you weren't promoted, not why I was." I pointed out. Silas sighed.

"Don't be a smart ass." He grumbled. I smirked slightly. "But I suppose he's not leaving me the company because I already have a management position."

I thought about this for a few moment. It was true, he was practically a full partner in my father's company. Even though he acted like he was nothing more than my father's servant, he wielded more power in the company than he let on.

I nodded, satisfied with his answer.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about Rei?" Silas asked, picking up on my thoughtful silence.

"I was wondering if you wanted to be the one in control of the company." I stated clearly.

Silas' eyes narrowed, it seemed I'd caught him off guard again. He leaned back in his chair and studied me, as if appraising an opponent.

"What if I said yes? What would you do?"

"I don't really have a good answer for that. I was merely curious about your aspirations within the company." I replied. "There was no ulterior motive... at least this time."

Silas chuckled softly. The fond look entering his eyes again.

"Then to answer your question honestly, I'm satisfied with my current position but if the chance ever did come up for me to take a firmer grasp on things... I would take it. It's not something I'm actively seeking though."

I nodded. I was thankful for his honesty, it might make my decision easier somewhere down the line.

 **MICHIRU**

"What was so urgent last night that you had to skip our family dinner?" I asked Setsuna as I sat down at the table beside her. It was then I realized that she was wearing the same clothes as the night before. "And might I ask why you didn't come home last night?"

Instead of answering my question Setsuna passed me the newspaper. I rolled my eyes, knowing when I was being put off... but then I caught sight of the page it had been turned to. The article in question was focused on the local candidates in the upcoming election. My eyes were drawn to one name in particular. Senator Beryl Artair.

"It's starting." I breathed, my eyes jerking up to meet Setsuna's. "Is Rei..?"

"Rei is fine, she will find answers soon enough."

"I just wish..." I started, letting my voice trail off. There was so much that I wished I could do for Rei, I wanted to step in and try to force the others to realize all that she had done for them... all that she _was_ doing for them. All that she was doing for us. "I wish I could help her more."

"We both know how your last attempt at helping her went. She wasn't impressed as far as I recall."

"I don't see how having a family means I should stop being there for my friends. And I don't understand how..."

"You don't understand it, really? Or do you just want to convince yourself of that and ignore the fact that she has a point?" Setsuna asked me, an almost accusatory tone entering her voice. "You know very well why Rei refuses to let you or Haruka assist her in her task."

I sighed, looking away from her. Yes, I knew the exact reason why she wanted me to stay as far away from her dealings as possible. She had let the worlds come to ruin in the last world just so she wouldn't have to kill Hotaru... and she'd be damned if she let anything come between our daughter and a normal childhood.

"I don't like seeing her alone." I murmured. Setsuna's hand came to settle on my shoulder.

"I know. Just remember that she won't be forever, it's all about to change." Setsuna's voice trailed off

"You made that sound ominous." I commented receiving only a smile in return which wasn't entirely reassuring. I looked back down at the newspaper in front of me, studying the frozen image of a woman I once hated with all my being. She had taken my entire world away from me... and yet, I couldn't really bring myself to blame her any more.

A frown was slowly building on my face. I still didn't understand why things had turned out the way they did. Why had only a few of us retained our memories of the past life while the rest lived in ignorance? What possible reason did the High Queen have for making Rei suffer alone like this?

The frown deepened. No, I couldn't bring myself to blame Beryl... not when there were much better targets for my resentment.

 **RE** **I**

"The board tells me you've been distracted of late. Is there anything you wish to tell me?" My asked as he sat down across from me, the cold edge in his voice told me he was thinking of only one possible reason for my distraction. An affair. One he completely disapproved of. In truth, what I was caught up in was far more intense and private than a mere affair.

"If you have something to say, _Father,_ just say it." I told him, feeling my mood sink once again. It was always the same thing with him. I was allowed my 'freedoms' as he called it, just so long as I kept it a secret.

"Your indiscretions are your own Rei, I've always been clear on that.." He started and I could sense the old fight rising between us.

"Yes, you've made it perfectly clear how you feel about my taste in relationships." I replied, leaning back in my seat and crossing my arms.

"Everything you do reflects on me... and the company. You are tied to us, you cannot forget that." He warned, getting to his feet as his voice rose in volume. "Your distractions could damage your standing."

"Because what? They threaten your delicate sensibilities?" I asked, unable to keep the sneer from my voice. This family was a joke.

"Your mother..." He started, his voice harsh and commanding as if he was ready to deal out truth. This sharpness hit too close to an old wound for me to handle any longer. I rose to my feet finally, standing toe to toe with him.

"Do not speak to me about my mother!" I yelled, she was the wound that had never healed in this family. It had been left unattended and had festered until there was nothing left of the family I once had. Once that wound had been prodded it was impossible for us to back down. "You have no right to speak to me of her. Not after ripping our family apart."

"You dare to pretend that you knew your mother better than I knew my own wife?" He demanded, his anger rising to match mine.

"No. The man who raised me knew your wife better than you do and if he had no quarrel with the way I am... neither would his daughter. You stopped being my father the day my mother died. And you stopped being my family the day you left me with my grandfather. I have kept my end of the bargain, I have earned my freedom – your reputation be damned."

The fury on my fathers face was frozen in place, the emotions filling the air seemed ready to ignite. Contempt burned within my chest as I turned on heel and walked towards the door.

"Stay out of my life. What we have is just business." I told him as I stepped out of the sitting room. "We stopped being family a long time ago, don't try and pretend otherwise."

"Rei!" He called after me. I shook my head as I grabbed my jacket. I didn't feel like going another twenty rounds with him. I was done with this bullshit.

Silas' eyes met mine as I yanked open the front door. He frowned, giving a sigh while softly shaking his head; there was no judgement in his eyes... which, for some reason, pulled at my heart. Something like guilt was just starting to rise up inside of me. I gritted my teeth and stepped outside, slamming the door behind me.

 **ARTEMIS**

I checked my watch, doing some mental math trying to figure out what time it was where Minako was on tour. After deciding it was a reasonable hour for her I picked up the phone and dialled... hesitating only slightly. I felt guilty over having to bring Minako away from something she loved. She'd come home because of course she would, but she would be coming home to fight. Not to live. I sighed as the phone began to ring, waiting patiently for Minako to answer on the other end of the line.

"Hey Arty. I was just about to call you." Minako said, greeting me with a nickname that had never failed to make me feel warm inside. I seated myself at the kitchen table, knowing this phone call would probably take a while.

"Oh really?" I asked, choosing to settle into the conversation rather than commandeer it. I wanted to pretend that life could be normal for a while longer. After we'd finished catching up we could move on to business.

"Yeah." Minako replied, her voice suddenly sounding almost shy. "I had some news to share with you. Figured since you're like my older brother I'd tell you in person."

I felt my heart soar when she called me family, it was nice to have her feel that way about me. I'd always felt grateful that I'd met her when I did, I'd been given a chance to be a part of her life... I had a chance to help her become the wonderful person I knew she could be.

"So what did you want to talk about, Mina?" I questioned.

"Are you sitting down?" She asked me, a teasing tone in her voice. My mind instantly conjured up the expression that went along with that tone.

"Yup." I replied. "What news do you have that makes you think I'll go weak in the knees?"

"I'm coming home." She told me. I gaped, not really able to form a coherent thought at the moment.

"What?" I finally choked out, so unbelievably grateful for the fact I didn't have to force her to return. I hadn't even had to ask her to come back, some how the universe had decided to intervene on my behalf.

"Yeah, we're scheduling some time off after we finish up this tour. I'll be back for Christmas."

She sounded so incredibly happy at the prospect of returning home that I couldn't bring myself to really do much more than sit there and savour that. Then my brain stumbled across something...

"Wait, _we_?" I managed to get out, still not understanding how Minako coming home for the holidays had turned into a plural.

"I – Well, I..." Minako hesitated as she tried to figured out how to tell me her news. She sounded almost flustered, it wasn't something I was used to hearing from her. "I'm engaged Arty, Kunzite asked me to marry him."

I almost dropped the phone in my shock, scrambling to grab it before it hit the ground. I quickly brought it back to my ear, hoping that Minako hadn't noticed anything amiss as I scrambled for words.

"Wow. That's... Wow." I said, trying to cover up my growing guilt with fairly authentic speechlessness. "That's... wonderful news."

While part of me was happy that Minako had found some kind of happiness in this world the rest of me felt guilt. The last time I'd seen Rei I'd tried to talk her into having hope where her relationship with Minako was concerned... and now, that was pointless.

I'd known from the beginning that the two of them wouldn't have the easiest relationship but I'd hoped, for both their sakes, that they'd get it sorted out. I'd been so... wrapped up in the past that I'd missed what was going on in the present. And the worst part was that I had dragged Rei into my delusions.

"You don't sound all that thrilled." Minako commented, the barest hint of a frown in her voice. I shook off my guilt, choosing instead to focus on the fact that the woman I'd helped raise was engaged.

"No, I am... I'm just trying to wrap my head around the fact my little sister is engaged. Older brothers are allowed some processing time, you know..." I retorted, then my tone became kinda snarky. "And which one was Kunzite again, not that asshole who..."

"You're the worst, you know that right?" Minako interrupted but I could hear and feel the fondness she had for me. "And Kunzite's my manager. And boyfriend of the last two years or so. Please tell me you at least _remember_ him?"

My mind flashed back through all the articles I'd read and all the photos I'd seen of Minako in the last

"When did this happen?" I asked, feeling shellshocked. Minako's laughter echoed through the phone.

"The engagement or the relationship?"

"Engagement." I clarified.

"Last night." She replied, the soft ripples of joy and contentment that flowed through my bond with her just about made me cry. It was so good to feel that from her but I knew it was wrong.

"Well, congratulations Minako. I can't wait to meet him."

"Thanks Artemis." She said softly, sounding a bit homesick. "I've missed you."

Comfortable silence nestled between us until Minako cleared her throat.

"So what was it you were calling about?" She asked. I didn't let myself pause even though there was a flood of thoughts running through my head.

"Nothing, just wanted to catch up." I lied, we could cover the developing situation when she got here. The fact Minako was returning at all would have to be enough for Luna. We'd deal with the fallout when it came.

 **REI**

I looked up as the door to my office opened, it was Ren. Probably here to tell me to quit working so hard and go home as it was well past time for me to be off the clock.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, then noticed her boyfriend poking his head in the door after her. He was wearing a shit eating grin... which normally meant all productivity on my behalf was going to come to a complete stop.

"Oh god. Don't tell me you're inflicting your boyfriend's presence on me tonight." I groaned, Ren laughed.

"Of course I am. You always feel better after harassing each other for a bit." She told me, sitting down on my desk.

"Who says I need to feel better?" I grumbled darkly at which Ren gave me a look.

"You're all bad-moody. You've been swearing under your breath every ten minutes since you got back and you're doing that brooding thing again." Ren teased, poking a finger against my forehead; trying to smooth out the lines that were forming there prematurely.

"Hm. Right." I muttered as I pushed the offending digit away. I hadn't realized that I'd been swearing out loud all afternoon. "I suppose I might be able to suffer through whatever that _idiot_ of yours has planned."

"You do know I am standing right here, right?" Kade prompted from the doorway. I glared at him.

"Yes Kade. I have eyes." I snapped at him. Wow, I really was in a foul mood.

"I think you're already helping her unwind." Ren commented sarcastically in a mock whisper to her boyfriend. I rolled my eyes.

"Just so you know, Ren, I don't take kindly to people trying plan my evenings for me." I remarked, my tone taking on a scolding edge. She simply sent me a grin.

"I'm your personal assistant, it's part of my job description." She replied cheerily. I almost buried my head in my hands.

"Goddamnit." I swore, unable to stop myself from smiling. I certainly had set myself up for that one. I decided to lay down arms and give in to their plot. "Fine. What are we doing?"

"We are going out into the club and we are having drinks." Kade answered, pulling me out of my seat after he'd gotten a firm hold on my jacket; making sure I couldn't weasel my way out of this.

"Seriously? You _know_ I don't drink." I protested, turning to look at him in disbelief. I thought that they'd at least chose something I was remotely interested or engaged in.

"You don't drink _often_ , there's a difference. And you need to chill the fuck out and have a good time for once in your life." Kade replied with a laugh, using the exact words he'd heard me utter so many times before. Even Ren rolled her eyes at him.

"What he means is that it doesn't matter if you drink or not. You just need a night off." Ren told me. "So you're joining us in the bar and we are going to enjoy ourselves... and you two _will_ talk about something other than work."

She met both Kade's eyes and mine sternly, knowing that without a very strict warning we would probably both end up talking about our businesses or employees or having to deal with the suits back at A.E.D. Corp HQ. We both shared a bit of a guilty glance.

Ren pushed me into the booth next to Kade and slid in on his other side. Almost immediately drinks appeared at our table which made me suspect that Ren had gotten all this set up before even setting foot inside my office. I grumbled quietly to myself as she pushed a large mug of tea across the table towards me.

 **KADE**

It was nearing ten o'clock when suddenly Rei was no longer engaged in our playful banter, her gaze had been drawn over my shoulder towards the bar. A look of... regret now graced her features. I found myself turning to see what she was looking at. My eye caught Ren's as I turned, she looked just as confused as I did.

"Excuse me." Rei stated, slipping by me. I followed her with my eyes as she wove her way through the crowd, coming to a stop in front of one of the most remarkable woman I'd ever seen; she was clad in a black dress with her long red hair gleaming in the lights.

I tore my gaze off the woman, returning my attention to Rei. She seemed cautious, almost apprehensive, about this meeting. They seemed to be deep in conversation, the longer I watched the more apparent it became that there was history between them. A history that seemed to linger painfully between them. I'd never seen Rei look so guilty before.

There was a stuttering awkwardness that was odd to see from Rei, she was _actually_ fumbling for words. And when comparing this to her normal no nonsense attitude, well, it unsettled me.

Ren reached down and took my hand in hers as we watched the redhead lay a hand on Rei's arm in what was supposed to be a comforting gesture. Rei's reaction was more telling than anything else could have been. She pulled back from it, as if deeply blaming herself for something. It was obvious things had ended badly between them...

"She looks so sad." Ren remarked, her voice barely audible over the music. The stranger reached out again, taking Rei's hand as she closed the distance.

"Which one?" I asked, it looked like they were both warring with themselves over something. The redhead gave a sad smile, letting the contact linger between them. Rei hesitated, but only slightly, before gesturing the woman towards her office...and a more secluded area.

"Well now, that's a development." I commented, with a sigh.

"Was it just me or did that look like they were seeing each other for the first time since a particularly nasty break up?" Ren asked, nudging me in the side. I nodded, broken-hearted was the only way to describe how Rei looked during that conversation. Then I paused.

"It's weird though. I thought Rei had only been serious with two people. And that lady isn't either one of them." I replied.

"It is Rei we're talking about." Ren commented, drawing a laugh from me. "She likes her secrets... it wouldn't surprise me if she was keeping something like this from us."

"You think we should wait for her or just head home and give her her privacy?"I asked her as I drained the rest of my drink. Ren met my eyes with a devilish grin.

"Home sounds good. She's not the only one in need of some privacy."

 **REI**

I could feel my employees eyes on me, watching as I approached Beryl at the bar. The two of them who were working in the vicinity shifted closer to us, I was vaguely aware of their conversation beyond the thumping of the music.

They were seeing if anyone knew who my mysterious visitor was. I never brought my personal life to work with me... well aside from my father but that technically was a work relationship. I paused, knowing that if I could hear my employees that they could hear me. I needed to be cautious, knowing for damn sure that they'd listen in.

"I'm sorry, for everything. Your..." I paused, considering what I could possibly say to convey my meaning to her but not any one else. I found my hand searching inside my pocket for my pack of smokes, feeling an almost desperate need to light up. When my hands finally sought out the pack it was empty. "Your _p_ _roposal_ – I couldn't. I'm..."

I hesitated again, looking for the words that needed saying. A wave of guilt and regret crashed over me as I thought about the past and everything I'd done wrong. I ran a hand through my hair, pushing it back out of my face and willing my internal distress not to show outwardly. I gave a sigh, trying to cleanse myself of those feelings and continued.

"What I'm trying to say is I wasn't ready to hear what you had to say. And I'm sorry about that. Especially since things turned out the way they did. Everything that happened between us was my fault. I wasn't ready for everything you were trying to tell me."

I crumpled up the empty pack of smokes into a ball, fighting the urge to light it on fire right then and there. Instead I tossed it down the bar, glaring at one of the waitresses; she scurried to pick it up and deposit it in the trash.

I glanced at Beryl, finally meeting her eyes for more than a second, there was a shine in them that made me wonder if her eyes were watering. I looked down at the bar again, not sure of what was going to happen. I almost wanted her to yell at me, to blame me for bringing our worlds crashing down around our ears.

"You don't have to apologize to me, Rei." She told me, placing a hand on my arm; drawing my gaze back to her as I tried to back away from her reassurance but she didn't let me. After her hand left my arm, she closed the distance between us and took my hand in hers.

"Please Rei, just listen." She requested. "You weren't in a good place and I did nothing but make matters worse."

There was a spark between us despite everything. It wasn't in any way romantic, it just showed how much she understood about me. It betrayed our history and as such she understood why I was being so vague.

We needed to remain inconspicuous if we were going to change anything. Revealing our true past to my staff would not help us... If they knew something was up it would eventually trickle down to the others. Despite knowing that my pack of cigarettes was gone and empty I found my hands searching for a smoke to light up. I needed something else to distract me.

"Perhaps we should find somewhere more private to continue this conversation." I suggested, my gaze flicking towards my coworkers; most of whom still seemed to be listening in.

"That would be best. We have a lot to catch up on." Beryl replied, letting a hint of her old seductive power seep into her voice. I gestured for her to follow me and made my way through the club towards my office.

"I hope you offend you with that ruse out there." I told her once we reached the quiet seclusion of my office. I shut the door as I gestured for Beryl to take a seat in front of my desk. She sat herself down, crossing one leg delicately across the other.

"I can't imagine why I would be offended... as I remember, you are a very extraordinary woman. I'd be a fool to be offended." Beryl replied, giving me a very familiar smile.

"I did mean what I said out there." I told her, opening the bottom drawer of my desk as I fought to find the right words. "I am sorry for..."

I shook my head.

"For not trusting you." I finished as I pulled out a bottle, my eyes rose back up to meet hers. I crossed back to the other side of the desk and leaning against it so that I was seated closer to her.

"If I had... had just done something, none of this would have happened." I took a deep breath, letting it out in a hissing sigh. I had had a long time to think about the past life. I had a long time to think about everything I'd done wrong. I poured out a fair measure of scotch into one of the glasses that rested on the book shelf and handed it to Beryl. She took it gently, her fingers brushing mine; her attention did not waver from me as I poured myself a glass. I brought the glass to my lips and she did the same. I had the feeling we both needed the alcohol to allow us to settle into this conversation.

"You can't blame yourself for what happened Rei. Your heart was in the right place." Beryl told me gently, I scoffed. My heart had been with Minako, she had been one of the few things tying me to that place. The only reason for my allegiance was Minako. My heart...

"It wasn't in the right place." I muttered, draining my glass and savouring the burning sensation that travelled down my throat. I already debating about pouring myself another.

"It was with the woman you love. How could that not be the right place?" She asked me, her eyes full of sympathy, I set my glass down on the desk as she finished hers off before continuing. "I realize now that it was cruel of me to offer what I did. That was not my intention but I fear that's how it felt for you. I offered you everything you wanted but you couldn't take it, I knew the moment after offering that it was the wrong thing to do. And I am so sorry that's how things ended between us."

"You were trying to give me something to live for. How could you have known that..." My voice broke, I was unable to verbalize what I'd had with Minako. And what I didn't have this time around.

"That you already belonged to someone. That there was no way for you to ever accept what I wanted to give you." Beryl finished for me.

"That doesn't change the fact that if I simply listened to you eight cultures wouldn't have needlessly perished." I told her, reaching for the bottle of scotch again.

"There are no guarantees that I would have won even if you had joined our side." Beryl attempted to reassure me, I was already shaking my head as she finished her sentence.

"I had a vision of the battle of Mars." I explained, feeling the weight of my regret settle heavily on my shoulders again. I poured us out another heavy dose of alcohol. "They were cut down by your armies and after that I watched as the Empire fell before you. You would have won had I not stood against you."

I looked down at the carpet for a moment, collecting my thoughts as I replaced the stopper on the bottle.

"Even before that I was meddling in your doings. The escape of the Uranians and Neptunians was either achieved by my plan or my hand. Had I stepped back and let you take control of them, the war..." I continued as I set the bottle aside, I stopped speaking as her voice started up.

"There was still no promise that Queen Serenity would let me get that far. In your vision, did you see me ruling over the worlds or did you see them all crumbling into nothing as I was shown?" Beryl cut across me, bringing up a point I hadn't necessarily thought of before. My jaw clenched.

"I take it that means the second one." Beryl said softly, another faint look of reassurance on her face. "I believe that my defeat was fate, there was no way to avoid it. Queen Serenity would never have allowed it, she would rather watch the worlds cease to be than watch darkness overtake them."

"True enough, she wouldn't have given in for anything." I agreed, picking up the glasses again and passing hers back. I sighed, resting my glass against my leg.

"I still feel as though I should have done something, it certainly would help me sleep at night." I admitted, meeting her eyes again. "I just don't want history to repeat itself."

"I know the feeling." Beryl said with a smile as she raised her glass. "To old enemies laying down their swords."

"To not making the same mistakes twice." I stated, bringing my glass against hers. Then we both drank to what I hoped would be a better future. One free of further bloodshed and loss.

Beryl and I both drank in silence for a bit before she met my eyes, leaning towards me.

"I imagine you have questions. I will answer what I can, if you will do the same with me." She offered, I felt my heart leap at finally solving the last mysteries left in my memories. I refilled both glasses again, still wishing that I hadn't finished off my pack of smokes on my drive back from my father's, I certainly could use one right about now.

"I find those terms agreeable." I agreed, "What do you wish to know?"

"How long have you been... aware of what was going on?"

"Almost my entire life, I thought I was going insane. My father thought I just had a vivid imagination. And then one day with Michiru... and it was like she saw something in me that brought everything back for her."

"You don't have any idea why you remember what you do? Or why Queen Serenity's power failed to work on you?"

I sat in silence for a few moments, taking a long drink to fill the silence. I had multiple theories on why my memories had resurfaced when everyone elses remained buried. The first one centred around my contact with the shadows the other focused on my relationship with Minako. Eventually I set the glass down on the desk, deciding to share my thoughts.

"Do the other Terrans remember anything?" I asked, trying to assess the validity of my first theory. "I know Mamoru, this world's reincarnation of Endymion, doesn't but I thought that maybe that was because he hadn't been _in contact_ with the Elder God or its powers as intimately as the rest of you."

"No. They don't recall a thing, at least according to Setsuna." Beryl told me, looking a bit concerned. I leaned back a bit, realizing that I probably should have attempted to speak to Setsuna about the matter before now... though perhaps it was best I hadn't. Knowing her, if she hadn't brought it up with me before now that meant this was the earliest my questions were to be answered.

"Rei?" Beryl asked me, I let my attention return to her. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." I replied automatically.

"You asked about... what impact Metallia's power had over the others, is there something you're worrying about?"

I clenched my jaw.

"It doesn't matter, that theory is obviously wrong if none of the other Terrans remembered the past. The shadows and Metallia had nothing to do with it." I gritted out. "It means that, well, my memories are my fault. Or Minako's. One of the two."

Beryl gave me a quizzical look but didn't ask me any questions, obviously trying not to pry into my business.

"I don't know if you know this but she was the daughter of _the_ Aphrodite back then, she was a demi-god that I eventually became soulmates with. We performed a ritualistic marriage under the guidance of her mother and, well, I'm bound to the promises I made. The vows she made aren't quite as _applicable_ in this world as they were in the old one... mine still are. I also promised her that I would never forget and that I would always find her. It seems I'm to keep the promises I make to her."

Beryl was silent for a few moments before she stood and wrapped her arms around me in a consoling hug. Instantly I felt the imprints left behind by the shadows spasm wildly, causing me to hunch inwards in pain and gasp for breath; my hand rising to clutch at my heart uselessly. Beryl withdrew immediately, a look of surprise mingled with horror on her face.

"It's still affecting you." She gasped, I took another few shaky breaths as I tried to ignore the writhing sensation in my heart. When it cleared enough I looked up.

"What is it?" I asked, she was looking concerned and a tiny bit scared.

"It was something like an infection, it was meant to help... control people." She explained with a sadness in her voice. "Jadeite went against my orders and attempted to force you over to our side. It was an experiment that had killed all his previous subjects. I always wondered how your survival was possible... And how you remained immune to the subsequent attempts at subduing you."

"To be fair I didn't exactly survive it." I remarked, wondering if that had made enough of a difference... If I had survived the attack all those years ago would I have been brought under the Terran's power?

"What?" Beryl asked weakly, sinking back into the chair again as her face grew pale. I frowned. How did she not know this?

"I died." I told her. "Died and was brought back. I still don't understand how it lingered with me even after I came back... and for a second time too."

"It's not about life and death, it's about the soul." Beryl replied rubbing at her temples. "This _infection_ will continue to influence you as time goes on."

"And what of my influence on the shadows?" I asked, finding myself morbidly curious as to how this whole thing worked.

"Why? Have you noticed a change in how you interact with them?" She questioned. I rolled up the sleeves of my shirt, revealing my unmarked skin.

"I've made skin to... _skin_ contact with two of them in the last 48 hours with no marks to show for it. Well, aside from the lingering mark from the killing blow I sustained last time around... that on the other hand seems to be growing." I told her, wondering what she would make of that.

"Through the heart..." Beryl quietly mused to herself, having obviously caught on to where the pain had been coming from. She looked up at me and gave a smile. "Then I suppose it's fortunate that your heart doesn't exactly belong to you, isn't it?"

"Are you saying that because of Minako..?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. As long as you have her, or at least have faith in the fact that your relationship is strong, there's nothing to worry about. I'd go as far as saying that you could even begin to strengthen your power over what shadow remains without worry. You'd be able to use it."

I allowed myself a smile, looking down at my hands.

"Well then, that should be useful." I commented, putting my worry aside; ready to return our attention to other topics of importance. "Any other questions?"

"Not at the moment, though I seem to recall that you had some... I assume they haven't been answered yet?"

I paused, unsure if I should bring up my next area of concern.

"So what you were seeking last time, the Omphalos, the Baetylus, the Source, whatever you want to call it... it really existed?" I asked her. I'd only seen vague imprints of it in my visions and memories – a searing light, a destructive pulse of energy; a brief flicker of Ami describing its significance to us. It seemed that whatever Queen Serenity had done to tamper with our memories hadn't worked with me but the Source still remained fogged in my mind.

"Yes, it exists. I can promise you that." Beryl told me. I nodded, not really sure what I was going to do with that bit of information. I had no idea what had been done with it when the worlds had been destroyed... or what it could have become in this one.

"And the Elder God?" I asked, pausing as I thought of Hotaru. " _Your_ Elder God."

"Still here, still waiting. And even more hungry than it was last time." Beryl told me, then there was a small quirk of her lips. A smile. "And yours?"

"A child." I replied, watching the surprise pass across her face. I met her eyes again, studying them carefully. I'd been establishing a baseline by which to read her throughout the conversation and here was the question that truly mattered to me. It was the one I would accept nothing less than the truth as a reply... and I was fairly certain I was adept enough at reading her now to distinguish truth from lie... or half truth.

"What made you join forces with it in the first place?" I questioned.

"It came to me and showed me what it would do if I didn't help it. The world would be consumed and there would be nothing I could do to stop it. We would have to rely on the High Queen and... I wasn't willing to do that. I didn't feel she was worthy of our faith."

"And seeing how things turned out... Well, it seems _you_ made the right choice." I acknowledged in a slightly depressed voice before carrying on the conversation. "So, what happens when the Elder God gets the Source?"

"It consumes it and leaves this world, this universe alone; consuming the Source will allow it to bring its own existence back into balance."

"And what? After that it just leaves us alone?" I asked skeptically with a raised eyebrow.

Beryl gave a sigh, seeming a bit torn on the matter.

"Not exactly. It seems that even after that it will hunger... but it won't be on a planet ending scale any longer. It will find other forms of sustenance, less... substantial forms of sustenance."

"Like what?" I asked coolly, if that thing even considered about touching a single human on Earth I'd do everything in my power to stop it. In the old world we'd, in a sense, given sacrifices to Queen Serenity so we would have peace... I wasn't willing to do that again.

"You honestly don't believe that _It_ or the other Elder Gods are the only threats against humanity's existence?" Beryl asked, I frowned at the somewhat philosophical turn our conversation had taken. I knew my own thoughts on humanity but I also knew we weren't alone in this universe."

"I honestly believe humanity is a bigger threat to itself than anything else out there." I paused, taking in a breath as I tried to think of how to go about saying what was on my mind. "However, that doesn't mean I want to see it held under the thumb of some _god_ that thinks it can rule us just because it can. I don't care if It's an Elder God, I'll not stand by and watch It take control of Earth."

"Controlling the Earth and its' inhabitants isn't exactly what It has in mind." Beryl told me, sound a bit apprehensive about what she was about to bring up.

"So, what, is Its' master plan once it saves us? It'll just let us go on with our lives like nothing happened?" I challenged. Beryl shook her head.

"No. It knows that humanity makes a tempting target... It plans on using Earth as, well, bait."

"It will _eat_ anything that comes after us?" I asked, unsure if that sounded like a good idea.

"It proposed a symbiotic relationship between the two of us. I saw no reason to argue with that idea. It is greater than us by far, greater than anything we could come up with to stop it." Beryl told me gravely.

"Well, that makes things complicated." I muttered to myself, knowing that the others would chose to fight it no matter what the odds were... And I didn't know if I could bring myself to join them in that fight, not with how much I resented the position Queen Serenity had put me in. Especially now that I had gotten the chance to talk with Beryl.

AN: Well, that was long. But hey, second story update in two days.


	4. Chapter 3: Strangers Many Hours

3.) Many Hours

I know of only one duty and that is love.

\- Albert Camus

LUNA

I slowly made my way towards Gaslight, knowing that Rei would still be there... even at this hour. From what I remembered, she always had kept odd hours and that had only intensified in the last few years. I supposed owning a nightclub, especially one as popular as Gaslight, was bound to make you a bit unpredictable.

I wrapped my coat tighter around myself, grateful for the protection it gave me from the elements. A part of me hoped it would serve just as well during my conversation with Rei. Doubtful though, a jacket probably wouldn't be able to stand against her fury for more than a few seconds. And that wasn't even mention her other skills.

I sighed, this whole situation was a headache. While Artemis was keen to avoid even the _thought_ of the potential fallout their reunion could bring... but I had no such qualms. Someone needed to speak to Rei and ensure her loyalty when Minako returned. She had been allowed far too much leeway in her management of the conflicts in the past five years and that would change once her team returned.

Some one needed to take control of the situation, regardless of how things would work out amongst the team. If Rei wanted to fight this, I wanted to know.. so I could be ready.

Just as I was ready to cross the street to the club I pulled up short.

It was the red hair that caught my attention; such a distinctive shade that I automatically ducked back into the shadows before she noticed me. What on Earth was Beryl doing here?

I shrank back even further as I watched Rei follow her out, deep in discussion with the woman we were fated to oppose. I felt myself freeze, shocked at what I was seeing before me.

Rei was meeting with the woman who had torn apart our world.

Fear locked me in place, keeping me rooted to the ground. I could see our worlds crumbling around me, the death of civilizations echoing through time... reverberating through me.

My hands were shaking as I tried to steady myself, a cold hand had reached into my chest and was doing its best to crush every hint of breath from my lungs.

It had been years since I'd experienced the crush of the past like this – this crippling sense of defeat and anguish that used to wake me at night. Wake me and leave me shaking in the dark, too scared to cry out. To horrified to return to bed.

Nights had been spent praying to whatever gods remained that the girls would be spared this fate. That they'd never be confronted with the memories we'd removed.

I took another deep, calming, breath – righting myself with in my body as I successfully avoided a panic attack.

And instead of turning away from what I was seeing, I lingered; watching the two of them. Beryl laid a hand against Rei's arm again as Rei opened the taxi door for her. Rei gave a stiff nod at whatever Beryl was saying before gesturing her into the vehicle and shutting the door.

My arrival home was frantic, chaotic, and every bit of the mess that I used to be. And Artemis, as always, calmed the storm inside of me. Even if his lack of concern was inspired unprecedented levels of rage.

"Listen. I'll check in with her, talk to her a bit to figure out where her head is at... but I'm doing anything more than that; she'll tell us if there's a problem – she always has." He told me, his voice still sleepy as he laid sprawled in our bed.

I remained silent for a moment, knowing that he was only saying that to placate me. He really had no intention of questioning her at all. And yet, I felt better for it.

"You really should be more concerned about this." I told him, trying to keep the disappointment out of my tone. He smiled at me, rolling over so he could throw an arm across me.

"And you really shouldn't worry so much." He told me, pulling my body closer to him. "Now get some sleep, it's way too fucking late to be dealing with this."

REI

"You ran into her then." Setsuna greeted me as I got out of the car. She was just waiting there for me. I'd forgotten how odd it was to be around someone who knew you better than you knew yourself.

I staggered slightly, feeling more inebriated than I had earlier, before I waved the cabbie off. I pushed off the car as I found me footing, approaching her – choosing to lean against the hood of one of Haruka's cars rather than let my slightly intoxicated state intrude upon our conversation.

"Yes." I replied before running a hand back through my hair – hoping that the booze wouldn't hit me any harder than it already was. That being said, I also needed way more alcohol to deal with this conversation. I'd intended to ask her about Beryl and the future but the closer I'd gotten to the house... the more futile I'd found the questions. Especially as I knew I'd find no answers with her. Instead I'd just let her give me the answers we needed.

"You're drinking again." Setsuna commented, sitting on the hood of the vehicle next to me.

"Special circumstances." I growled, not making eye contact. It was bad enough that Ami got on my case about my smoking... I really didn't need Setsuna passing judgement on the one night I needed a bottle to help me fucking relax. Setsuna nudged my elbow. I looked towards her, a pack of my brand of smokes resting in her hand. An offering.

I reached out, taking them in hand; remembering that the only reason I'd even broken down tonight because I hadn't been able to resort to my normal coping mechanisms. That was all. That was an excuse I could live with. Otherwise I could pretend I was nothing more than a weapon.

"You're better than that." Setsuna told me as lit up, coaxing as much smoke and toxin into my lungs as possible. And I wasn't entirely certain what she was speaking of – for all I knew, she could read my mind. And then she clarified. "Better than the drinking at least. You've always been more inclined to smoke than the average person."

I smiled softly to myself, part of me wanted to believe that she saw more of my doubt than she was letting on.

"Well, when you've run into the root of all your nightmares..." I muttered, struggling to get my lighter to cooperate. I didn't trust my powers at the moment, I was too prone to outbursts when I was in this emotional state. This... could go badly.

"And you're stripped of all your coping mechanisms... yes, I agree, it was time for a drink." She told me, taking my lighter out of my hands and drawing forth the spark I wanted. I leaned forward and lit my smoke off the offered flame.

I sucked in a calming breath laced with smoke; letting myself settle slightly. The night, the appearance of Beryl, the information she'd given me... it had all been too much. But now that I was in Setsuna's presence, it all seemed more manageable.

"You could have at least warned me. I mean... Fuck! She almost ambushed me while I was working at work. The _one_ normal place I have left and I would have ruined it the moment she showed up. If I hadn't been with friends, what little I have left in this world could have..."

Setsuna nodded, just letting me clear the air. I wanted nothing more than to throttle her for not giving me a heads up.

"Could have crushed what little connection I have left to the real world. We're you just going to sit back and let that happen?"

"You've always been fast on your feet. I'm sure you came up with an acceptable lie to cover for her appearance..." The goddess of time commented. I snorted, almost inhaling my cigarette.

"My coworkers may think we were engaged... I'm just hoping they never figure out she's a Senator." I muttered, more to myself than her.

"You've been keeping up with the news at least." Setsuna replied conversationally, a faint teasing tone entering her voice now.

I laughed. And didn't stop laughing for a good long time. Once the floodgates had opened, there was no stopping them.

"It's all I can bloody do nowadays, I'm not like you Sets. No one's like you." I explained, still feeling the barest hint of hysteria.

"I know, Rei." She told me. "And yet, out of all the years I've lived, I've never met anyone like you. Which is why I'm here speaking to you now... and not just calling up Luna about what you and Beryl spoke of."

"I didn't betray them." I stated. Even though it was more of a question. I wanted nothing more than to hear her absolve me of my actions – my talk, with Beryl. I didn't want to damn the rest of them because of my conscience. A conscience I hadn't listened to in decades.

"You didn't Rei. You acted with peace in mind, I don't see any future in which that is a betrayal of them or their goals." Setsuna reassured. I let out a deep exhale, purging all the regret that had festered in my mind on the car ride over.

I let myself collapse backwards, laying back against the hood of the car. My head connecting solidly with the cold metal. Hopefully I hadn't dented it or Haruka would kill me.

"God damn it." I exhaled, knowing she couldn't give me any answers. I just wanted someone who I could talk to. I gave a growl, asking the question for no real reason. I wouldn't get an answer but I needed to ask anyway. "So what do I do now?"

"Just breathe." Setsuna told me, breaking tradition for once and _actually_ giving me advice for once. I did my best to follow what little advice she had given me, breathing deeply. I let my eyes close, focusing solely on the movement of air from my lungs; hardly noticing when she kept talking.

"Rei, you've always been a rather adept judge of character. You don't need me, or anyone else, telling you what to do."

"Like hell I don't." I muttered, tossing an arm across my eyes. "Last time... I fucked up and it felt like I was doing the right thing the whole time, this time it looks like it might be the right thing but that only makes me feel like I'm fucking up."

"I know what Beryl told you just as well as you do, this isn't my call."

"Yeah, well it seems like nothing's your call." I sniped back, then all of a sudden her history with Beryl hit me. And I swore again.

"Setsuna." I mumbled, moving my arm so I could look at her. It seemed like the moment my eyes met her face... a wall of neutrality covered up all the sorrow in the world. I groaned. "For fuck's sake. Why are we talking about me when you're the one who wants to jump her bones?"

"Excuse me?" Setsuna demanded, a dangerous tone in her voice. I rolled my eyes.

"Listen, I know I've told you this before, but it's okay to think of yourself first every once in a while..." I told elaborated. I might have been thinking about giving up everything I'd known and hoped for but she'd already done that.

"I could say the same to you." She replied evenly, the wrath fading from her eyes. I gave a soft chuckle, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"Touche." I remarked, allowing a bit of a wry grin to settle its self on my face. I followed it up with a half hearted shrug trying to ignore the fact her point had hit home a bit harder than I wanted to admit.

"Still though, you've had hundreds of lifetimes to search for who you want if you've found it..." I let my voice trail off. I caught the dark expression on her face. I levered myself up on to my elbows, trying not to fall off the side of the car.

"Spoilers?" I questioned jokingly, trying to cover up how intriguing I actually found her lack of an answer. I'd seen hints of her relationship with Beryl in the last life but never really figured anything out.

"You're annoying, you know that right? I don't think I ever told you that last time around."

"First I'm hearing of it actually, though I'll take it under advisement." 

"Good. Now I'm giving you a ride home before you fall asleep on Haruka's pet."

"You're the worst." I grumbled, rolling off the vehicle.

ARTEMIS

Early the next morning I settled in across the table from Rei. I'd probably called her far too early considering that I knew how late she'd been out the night before but... But Luna had been distraught the night before. Nearly beside herself.

It was the first time I'd seen her anxiety get this bad in this world. I'd known she'd been dealing with the memories of the past but... I'd never seen her that terrified of what could happen. To accuse Rei of what she had... there must be something else at work here. And if checking in with Rei would allieviate some of that, well, I'd do it. I'd been meaning to talk to her anyway.

"Equipment working okay? Anything else unusual pop up?" I asked, sliding her drink across the table to her as I took a drink of my own. We'd already dispatched with the pleasantries and I knew Rei would only stick around so long without a reason.

"Yeah. Its all working okay so far. Not that I've had any notable encounters." The first hint of a doubt began to enter my mind. I knew that she had met with Beryl and she was now lying about it. Then Rei sighed, looking thoughtful and mildly troubled.

"Not with any shadows anyway. You know how we were saying _she_ was close? Well, we were wrong. She's already here." Rei told me.

I was torn between letting her know that Luna had seen them meeting but that would make her think we didn't trust her. Though if we kept it from her and she later found out the situation would be even worse; she would no longer trust us to be honest with her.

I finally decided on the lesser of two evils. Even if Rei didn't trust us, she still trusted her friends. And that's what would make the difference – she wouldn't have any other reason not to trust us other than a small lie about knowing she'd met with Beryl. Her friends would be able to talk her down from that.

"What? How do you know? I asked, putting the right amount of surprise and concern into my voice then I added a sense of frantic urgency as I asked the next question. "Are you alright?"

"She showed up at work. And don't worry, she just wanted to talk." Rei told me, leaning back in her seat looking completely relaxed. Though she still appeared... somewhat tense.

"Did she say anything that can help us?" I questioned, hoping that she had picked up on something from Beryl.

"Not particularly. She seems to be just as in the dark as the rest of us." Rei told me with a lazy shrug.

"Rei you do realize that darkness is kind of..." I said, attempting a weak joke. She actually laughed, somehow managing to find some humour in my words. For some reason this calmed me. She was acting... well, like herself.

"Okay. It was a poor choice of words." Rei admitted, looking down and studying her mug. She seemed like she wanted to bring something up but then the moment passed as she shook her head.

"So what did you want to meet up about? You usually just text me to ask how my equipment is working and leave it at that. You've never felt inclined to buy me coffee before." She prompted, displaying her usual finesse at getting to the root of the issue.

"Truthfully, I kind of wanted to check in with you." I admitted, Rei's eyes immediately narrowed. Suspicion and annoyance surfacing from the depths of her attempted poker face.

"About what?" She growled.

"Well..." I hesitated, looking her in the eyes before I finally finished the sentence. "Minako."

Rei paused, her gaze boring into mine, the look on her face was indecipherable. She sighed as she looked away and picked up her cup of tea.

"This is Luna, isn't it?"

"I – wait, what?" I startled. "I mean, _yes_ , but..."

"I'm not an idiot Artemis. Since you've heard that Beryl's back you're bringing the rest of the team up to speed. Of course Minako's coming back." Rei told me plainly. "And if you're here talking to me about her coming home looking like someone kicked your cat... well, that makes me think your girlfriend is involved. No one else _unnerves_ you quite as much."

Rei paused, frowning a bit at me as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms.

"So what does she want to know?"

"Can I just say that I also wanted to check in with you over Minako's return, but for wildly different reasons?" I asked. She allowed herself a faint smirk.

"I'm fairly certain I'll enjoy answering Luna's questions more than yours." Then her face softened slightly. "I do appreciate the concern Artemis. I just don't think its worth discussing again."

I nodded, knowing that she would still let me ask my questions... I just might not get a completely honest answer.

"Okay, so back to Luna. She's concerned about the level of freedom you've had and the oversight we've neglected to provide you with." I explained. "She's worried that you've grown too accustomed to working alone and that it will cause trouble when you're reintegrated into the command structure when Minako returns. She wants to know if you'll be able to take orders again or if there will be some... competitiveness."

Rei laughed, though I detected a hint of bitterness there.

"We were always competitive. I don't see how this will change anything. We worked against each other as much as we worked together... and it made us better. I'll take orders when I know they're in the best interest of the team. Otherwise I'll ignore them and trust my five years of experience to get the others out of any messes."

I smiled, knowing that this particular admission would not sit well with Luna but I saw no problem with her doing things the way she always had.

"I'm fairly certain that will be acceptable. Just remember you're going to be the one taking the heat from Minako and Luna... and possibly Usagi for causing trouble."

"I think I can handle it. I'm used to being the shit disturber." She remarked, leaning back in her seat. For some reason the bitter tone in her voice was more pronounced, then she smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I'll do my best to remind Luna of how things worked between you two before we set up this solution. That should help a bit." I assured her, pausing only fractionally before launching into what I really wanted to talk to her about. "Now, I want to know how you're doing with Minako coming back."

I paused, trying to go about this next part as delicately as possible.

"Now Luna doesn't concern herself with the messy relationship aspect of the team dynamic but I do. I honestly want to know how you're feeling about this. I'll understand if you want to take a bit of a break when she gets back until you... get used to being around her again." I explained, trying to be as sympathetic as possible. I knew Rei would struggle with this, that much was obvious. I mean the love of her life was getting married for gods sake.

"That won't be necessary." Rei replied in a clipped tone, her eyes steely. "Assuming you go along with what I have to say... everything will be back to business as usual as soon as humanly possible."

"And what do you have to say?" I asked somewhat warily, Rei was seeming far too detached for my liking. Maybe she thought it would be easier to distance herself as much as possible from the thought of Minako until she absolutely had to confront it. Rei frowned but didn't question my reaction to her, there was a pause where I could see her collecting her thoughts and trying to come up with a sales pitch for them.

"I've been dealing with these things on my own for years as they've increased in number and strength. My experience is... substantial, and in light of that, well, I want to ask that you and Luna don't put the others into any dangerous situations until I'm certain they can tangle with those things and not get their asses kicked." Rei explained, a frown on her face; she was already worrying about the others it seemed... She sighed and continued. "They'll be rusty and I don't want them dead because of that. I want you two to trust my experience with these things and let me ease the others in to this. That means none of them engage without me around, understand?"

"And how do you expect to make that work?" I asked. I saw the sense in her request but I didn't see how she would be able to manage it.

"Easy. Don't give them the tracking app. I can contact them and let them know when and were these things will appear. That gives me a chance to get there before they engage it and it lets them get experience in some what of a safe environment." Rei replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'll see what I can do. Luna will want to have a briefing with all of you at some point to get you all on the same page." I told her, honestly not seeing how Luna could have ever thought Rei could intentionally betray her team. What she had done for them these last five years as well as how she was now more concerned about their wellbeing than her personal feelings... I didn't doubt her in the slightest.

Rei nodded and moved to get up from the table, I reached out a hand to stop her.

"You still haven't told me how you feel about Minako coming home." I pointed out, trying to show that I was genuinely concerned for her.

"I didn't realize this was her home." Rei muttered, shaking her arm out of my grasp and walking out of the coffee shop. I cringed slightly at the tone in her voice but I didn't blame her for it. I couldn't, not when I knew what I did about her. About the two of them.

REI

Today had been a long day. Almost too long seeing how it had started incredibly early with that coffee fiasco with Artemis. To be honest, I was surprised that so much emotional distress could happen in a single 24 hour period and have the day _still_ not be finished. And yet, riding up the elevator at the end of my day... it very much felt like it wasn't over.

I groaned as the doors opened and I stepped out of the elevator, coming up short as I saw who was waiting for me. Silas was lingering outside the door to my apartment looking a bit uneasy.

"Perfect." I grumbled. "What does my father want this time?"

Silas gave me a bit of a guilty expression as he handed over a large file.

"This is the dossier on Senator Artair, your father is supporting her campaign and as he's still too ill to make public appearances you're going to have to give the welcoming speech at her fundraiser." Silas muttered, I took the thick packet of papers and tucked it under my arm.

"Great, I take it they have a speech written for me already?" I asked, knowing that they'd die before they let me get up there and actually speak my mind. Silas cringed slightly but he smiled.

"I'll drop by with that and the other notes they've collected on interacting with the media and whatnot later this week." He explained. "Her history, her politics, everything your father's men could scrounge up on her is in here. You could probably write her biography when you're done with that file."

I nodded tersely as I reached down to unlock my door.

"When do I have to have this information learned by?" I asked as I pushed the door open and stepped inside, gesturing for Silas to follow me in. He did so, watching as I tossed the file on to the kitchen counter carelessly.

"As soon as possible, ideally... but realistically? I'd say by the morning of the event." He told me with a grin as I pulled a beer out of my refrigerator for him. I pulled a battered cigarette out of my shirt pocket, reaching for a lighter that was in the cutlery drawer.

I sat down on one of the bar stools while I lit up. He sunk down on to the seat next to me, twisting the cap off his beer.

"How much do you know about the Senator?" Silas asked me conversationally, I gave him a bit of a look.

"As much as most people." I lied, I knew her better than I could let on; interacting with her in the past life had a way of teaching you a thing or two about a person. "Had she stayed in her political riding she would have been the incumbent but since her political party needs a win in our riding, one of the more important swing ridings in the country... well, they sent her as their powerhouse. And she's coming up against the local incumbent representative; who just so happens to be the current Minister of Defence. It's going to be a hard fought battle either way."

"You've been keeping up with the news I see." Silas commented with a grin. I rolled my eyes, it was the second time that day I'd heard those words... and they got less amusing with each rendition.

"Helps that she's gorgeous." I remarked with a smirk, knowing that Silas wouldn't judge me for that. He was a lot more relaxed about my inclinations than my father was. He let out a laugh.

"You saying she caught your eye?" He asked jokingly, nudging me in the arm.

"You saying she didn't catch yours?" I questioned in return, then I chuckled. "Can you imagine Masaru's face though if I got involved with her?"

"He would be far from impressed but it would be hilarious." He replied with a laugh then he hesitated, giving a bit of a frown. "And how'd you know she was gay? You haven't read the file yet and she hasn't come out publicly. It's one of the few pieces of _dirt_ your father's men could find on her."

"Gaydar." I quipped, unable to believe that I'd let something like this slip. I had knowledge about her that I shouldn't have... and I was getting sloppy with it. I flicked the embers into the ash tray on the marble counter top, hoping that my lie had gone unnoticed. Silas smiled at me and shook his head.

"Whatever kid, be evasive." He muttered, taking a long drink of his beer; probably thinking that there was an obscene story there somewhere. "So seriously, what do you think of her as a candidate?"

"Off the record?" I asked, not wanting this to get back to my father... or anyone else for that matter. He nodded so I continued with a dip of my head. "I think she's probably the one chance this world has at moving into the future. The polls are reassuring, more than that actually, they're predicting a landslide win for her. Add that to the fact the leader of her party is just about ready to retire... she has a very promising future ahead of her if she plays her cards right."

"I think that's exactly what your father is counting on."

"Yeah, he wants the future Prime Minister in his pocket." I remarked. "He might be out of the political scene now but he can still manipulate it like no one else I've ever seen."

Silas rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Sometimes I forget that you grew up around this kind of thing. I still remember you as this kid who was completely in love with her best friend."

"Gods Silas." I groaned, fully aware of the fact that this actually felt comfortable for me. Silas had always done his best to treat me like family. "You're embarrassing, you know that?"

"Its what I'm here for." He replied. "Just try not to grow up too quick, alright? You've got the whole future to do that."

"Yeah, if work doesn't kill me first." I answered humourlessly, aware of the fact that my actual work could potentially be life threatening. Silas finished off his beer and clapped his hand against my shoulder again.

"It's not that bad. I mean sure the board of directors hate your guts but they're not going to kill you over that." He laughed. I grinned in return.

"No, they're just going to throw me to the wolves."

"Well, I should get back to the wife and kids... don't stay up too late studying, okay?" He told me as I walked him to the door. I nodded.

"Say hi to them for me." I requested, he gave me another smile as he stepped out towards the elevator.

"Will do Rei, it was good to see you."

"Likewise." I responded as he stepped into the elevator, I watched until the doors slid shut then turned back into the house.

The day passed by in a blur, or rather a headache... but soon I found myself stepping outside the doors of Gaslight into the crisp December air where my friends had gathered.

Makoto reached across the group to slug me in the arm.

"So sunshine, you've clearly had a long day." She commented, grinning at me. I rolled my days.

"I can't imagine how this day could get any better." I replied drily. It was then that Usagi skipped up to my side, missing the tone as always.

"I take it you're looking forward to this evening as well?" She questioned. I quirked an eyebrow, frowning in her direction as Makoto seemed to fade into the background.

"I'm so excited to meet her fiance, surely you are too? He's one of Mamoru's friends you know?" Usagi commented, a bounce in her step. My step faltered.

"Fiance?" I asked, doing my best not to choke out the question. It felt like my heart was being ripped out again. Minako was engaged?

Usagi nodded eagerly.

"Apparently they've been dating two years, they finally decided to make it official. He just proposed." She told me, beaming, she turned around to face me. My mind was still fumbling through the facts. She was engaged to a guy? "How come you're just hearing about this now?"

"Minako and I don't talk much. She's always pretty busy." I muttered. It was true, we were both a little preoccupied. I had let her go for a reason... she needed to follow her dreams to be happy. I just always thought that she'd come back someday and we'd go back to the way we were. I'd told her to call me when she figured out what she wanted... and apparently what she wanted hadn't been me.

"You always know when her albums are coming out, when her concerts are, what awards she's in the running for, and what movies she's filming... but you don't know something this important. What's up with that?" Usagi mused. I glanced over, my eyebrow rising. She was unnaturally astute today.

"How am I supposed to know about something like that?" I replied. Makoto did her best to stifle her amusement. Needless to say, she failed. She was laughing uproariously while Ami did her best to conceal hers with a cough. Even Luna had cracked a grin. Apparently I'd surprised them with how unobservant I was being. None of them even seemed to think there was a reason for my inattentiveness.

"Rei, it was all over the tabloids." Usagi said, sounding surprised. She looked too confused to even laugh at me like the others had.

The tabloids, huh? Well, at least that explained why I hadn't heard. I decided I might as well explain why I had missed out on this groundbreaking revelation.

"Remember her 'pregnancy scare' about three years ago?" I asked, they nodded. "Yeah. I stopped even glancing at them after that. It's unreliable bullshit."

"But she's getting married Rei. Married!" Usagi repeated, her tone was enthusiastic. It felt like she was physically trying to rip my heart out of my chest.

"I always thought marriage was your thing, apparently we were all wrong." I shot back testily, it was an instinctive response upon having to deal with pain. Hearing about Minako's engagement had put me in a foul mood.

"You don't have to be so mean." She complained softly, pouting slightly at the barbed reference to the fact that Mamoru had yet to propose. I rolled my eyes, refusing to apologize even though I knew that I probably should. Makoto grinned.

"That'll never change. She's always been a bit of a bitch." Makoto commented with a grin in my direction. I shot her a glare as my cellphone began buzzing furiously. I glanced down, a red light was flashing. Shit.

"Uh, hey guys, sorry to do this to you again but I've got to go." I told them. Ami frowned, seemingly catching on to what was happening. She didn't say anything though, which I was thankful for.

"Where are you going? We're supposed to be picking up Minako from the airport together." Makoto yelled as I headed back in the opposite direction, thumbing through the screens until I found the tracking app that Artemis had designed.

"I've got work to do. I'll catch up with you all later." I called back, my eyes flicked to Luna... attempting to convey to her that she damn well better cover for me since she was the reason I was in this mess. She nodded slightly before calling the groups attention to her.

"Let her go. I can't imagine how busy the bar gets this time of year... she's probably swamped with work." I heard Luna say, cutting across any protests they may have had about my departure. Wasn't much of a defence but I'd take what I could get.

I broke into a run, heading back towards my motorbike. As I ran, I couldn't decide if I was happy about this appearance or not. It gave me an excuse to disappear for a while but it also left me alone with my thoughts. I wasn't sure that was a good thing, my thoughts weren't exactly good company most of the time. Especially now that she was getting married.

 **MAMORU**

I grumbled quietly to myself as I struggled to find a parking space. As much as I loved my friend... this was a tad unnecessary; it wasn't as though either of the people I was picking up would have more than a bag with them – they both had homes here in the city... public transit wouldn't have been _that_ bad.

I sighed, finally settling on a parking spot buried within the maze-like airport parking complex. It was about as far away from my destination as one could get but it would have to do; I wanted to be there when Kunzite's plane landed.

Despite the headache he was giving me, I owed him that at least. Not to mention how much I owed his fiancee... Minako had saved my life, as well as Usagi's, more times than I could count. She'd always been a good friend of mine, even if we hadn't been nearly as close as the others in the 'inner circle' had been.

With a sigh I exited the vehicle to begin my trek towards to where I was meeting the others.

I watched as Minako took stock of those who had come to greet her and Kunzite, her face falling slightly when she realized who of their number was missing. I felt my smile freeze a bit, unsure how to explain this change of demeanour to my best friend. There was a lot we – _I_ couldn't tell him about this group.

Part of me wondered if Minako had explained it to him... explained just what he was walking into. The monsters, the demons... the history; because no matter what bullshit Rei and Minako came up with to try and cover up their struggling, and usually failing relationship, they _did_ have history. They had enough history to seemingly last lifetimes. And none of us really got what was going on between them.

But perhaps this was the end of that doomed cycle, maybe this could be the clean break that they needed. Minako certainly seemed happy with my friend, and I really couldn't bring myself to question that.

AN: As _dedicated_ readers you can probably tell where the missed POVs occurred. Or rather didn't. Either way, I'm hoping to get absolutely shitfaced and fill them in sometime in the near future – because that's how one deals with grief and stress. But hey, at least I updated.


	5. Chapter 4: Bring It On

4.) Bring It On

Only enemies speak the truth;

friends and lovers lie endlessly, caught in the web of duty.

\- Stephen King

REI

As I neared the site of the incursion I clicked the button on my handlebars that connected my phone's operating system to the headset in my helmet.

"Sir-I, call Artair." I stated, addressing the virtual assistant, the phone only took a moment to register my orders. My eyes flicked up to the sign above my head, another 2 klicks until my exit. There was a beep.

"Calling Beryl Artair." The computerized voice told me just before the dialling. I prayed that Beryl wasn't busy at this time in the evening, I needed information and fast. The phone only had a chance to ring once before it was answered.

"Beryl speakin..."

"It's me." I greeted, cutting her off. I was only a few minutes away from my next run in with a shadow and I needed to straighten out a few things before I got there.

"Ah, Rei. I was wondering how long it would take you to come to a decision in regards to my offer..."

"I haven't decided yet." I replied, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "But there's an emergency. One of your so called monsters is phasing into this world right now and I don't particularly want to exterminate it. Not if there are other options available."

"How... Never mind, we can talk logistics later. Where are you? If I'm on site I should be able to ease it's transition in to this world, that would lessen the chances of it..."

"Going berserk and ripping someone to shreds?" I suggested pointedly. I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. I could see her connecting some of the recent murders around the city with the emergence of her followers.

"Yes." Beryl sighed, her voice sounded heavy with regret. "They're panicking, entering a world with so much stimuli... Rei, you have to remember these are people; traumatized people at that."

"Which is exactly why I'm calling to get a new SOP instead of just lighting it on fire. Before you started reestablishing control every single one of them was psychotic, I didn't have a choice; now, I do." I replied testily. "And it looks like it's going to appear somewhere in the ship yard, I don't really have time to wait around for you before I break in. I need a plan now, not whenever you finally get out here."

There was a moment of silence, I could imagine her contemplating possible solutions to our problem... _my_ problem.

"You could try and subdue it with your power." She said, sounding almost apologetic. I wove through traffic, getting into the right hand lane so I could make my exit.

"That's my usual tactic..." I grumbled, beginning to point out that I was looking for a different way of doing things but she cut me off.

"Not pyrokinesis, you could merely try and assert your own will upon them. From what you told me, you've been experiencing some... alterations in your physical interaction with them." Her voice trailed off for a brief second. "As I mentioned last time, this should allow you some measure of power over them, you just have to figure out how to use it. Should, I mean, it's speculation based on what Zoisite told me in the old world."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable forcing my will on to something, _someone_ , else." I told her as I slowed for the highways' off ramp.

"I doubt you've developed that power already, a more accurate description for your capabilities would be communication... if that. You might able to mentally link with them and establish an understanding, it should be coherent enough to recognize the similarity of your... nature, and listen to you. You just have to open yourself up to it, let it in so it can recognize you. The power inside of you should be able to take care of the rest, follow your instincts – that's all I can tell you." Beryl explained as I pulled up to a secluded section of fencing near the shipyard. I had a feeling that this was the closest I was going to an answer. And I needed to get moving.

"Let's hope it works." I told her as I parked my motorcycle, turning it off and disconnecting the call. The bike's headlight died, leaving me alone in the darkness that had fallen. I swung my leg over my bike, flipping down the kickstand and moved towards the chain link fence. An upward glance was all it took to rule out climbing it; coils of barbed and razor wire lined the top, I sighed. So much for the easy way in.

I knelt down, focusing on the tips of two my fingers. The flame I brought forth was intensely hot but finely shaped. I carefully brought my fingertips close to the wire, doing my best not to get too close. While I could control the flames, and to some extent the heat, a previous mishap with molten metal had made me a little wary.

In a matter of seconds I was inside the fence, leaving a section of woven metal on the ground behind me. I cautiously studied my surroundings, trying to figure out if any security guards had noticed my arrival. While I was in a fairly dead part of the shipyard I still didn't want to rely on that too much, I wasn't the most adept at picking out security cameras in an area this large. When everything stayed quiet I progressed further into the yard.

I braced myself and reached out with my senses, trying to locate the shadow. I felt something wrench at my heart before drawing me deeper and deeper into the maze like shipyard. After what felt like ages I stopped, feeling a desperate need for air. I pulled off my helmet, taking a deep breath and letting the sea breeze blow through my hair. The break steadied me, easing the sensation in my heart.

A second later I was on the ground grappling with one of the creatures, my helmet skittering out of my hand and across the pavement. Desperately I tried to keep a level head and remember the objective, I wasn't here to fight – I was here to reach out.

I exhaled sharply as I was dragged across the pavement and tossed against one of the shipping containers, I kept myself calm and concentrated my efforts on establishing some form of communications. I didn't fight with the creature, all I did was defend myself and try and seem as harmless and nonthreatening as possible. Well, that and try not to feel fear. I knew if I messed this up I could die.

Finally, the struggle began to die down as it began responding to what I was doing. I allowed myself to relax. The adrenaline left me with my heart beat pounding in my ears. I straightened up, leaning back against the side of the shipping container. My breathing was fast but steady, I was excited but not panicked. I began trying to slow my breathing, bringing myself back down from the adrenaline rush.

Eventually I brought myself to look at the creature, it was watching me carefully. I reached out slowly with my hand trying not to spook it. Beryl said our communication would be limited so I was trying to establish convey my meaning in a variety of ways.

It stiffened when my hand came into contact with it, tensing warily but eventually it relaxed against me; nuzzling up against my shoulder much like a small child seeking reassurance after a nightmare. I let out a heavy breath, relieved that something was going right.

Then the phone rang.

 **MINAKO**

As Kunzite and I finished going through customs and walked into the main airport we were surrounded by our friends. Kunzite grinned at me as Mamoru stepped forward, I let go of his hand so they could greet each other.

And then I was enveloped in a very rough hug as a body came flying in my direction. Only Kunzite and Mamoru's hands on my back stopped me from falling backwards.

"You're back!" Usagi shouted as she tightened her embrace. Behind Usagi I only just managed to catch sight of Makoto and Ami approaching us, they seemed much more sedate but no less eager.

"Hey." I managed to say as Usagi released me.

"We missed you so much Minako." She told me with a huge smile on her face. I found my expression mirroring hers, something about her mood was contagious. It always was.

"I missed you too. All of you." I told them, giving Usagi's hand a quick squeeze before going to hug Makoto and Ami. Before I did, I paused suddenly struck by the wrongness of this picture.

Rei was missing.

Immediately I looked towards Makoto, Rei had spent more time with her in the last year than she did with anyone else. Or at least that's what I'd heard.

"Rei had to work, she's sorry she couldn't make it." Makoto gave a shrug, already knowing what I was going to ask. I felt my heart fall through my chest, sinking down until it felt like it was resting in my stomach.

I'd hoped that we'd be able to talk, we hadn't really had the chance since our break up five years earlier. Well, we'd had the chance but never the courage or the emotional stability. When she'd broken up with me I'd left the city completely devastated.

For the first year I'd been too heartbroken to get back in contact, then after that I was just too busy. And then later, I'd gotten to know Kunzite and it just seemed... too complicated. It seemed as though Rei's life had followed a similar series of events. Too soon, too busy, too hard, maybe not in that order but the phases still happened at some point.

"You sure she's sorry? You know how much she hates crowds." I commented, keeping my tone light and cheerful. Makoto grinned at me. Somehow I managed to smile, trying convince myself and the others that the fact Rei was missing didn't bother me.

"That and she hates airports almost as much as I do, doesn't she?" Makoto laughed, Ami slipped a hand into hers. "But yeah, work's been a mess for her lately. I'm sure she'd much rather be here than dealing with that fiasco."

"I'll give her a call in a bit." I murmured before introducing my fiance to the most important people in my world, save one.

"Hello?" Rei answered, sounding breathless and distracted. And kind of exhilarated. The combination sounded incredibly familiar... and made me feel slightly uncomfortable at the memories it conjured up. Memories of times spent between the sheets, exhausted and content. Just us and the moment curled up together with nothing else existing in the universe.

"Uh, hi. It's um...me?" I replied lamely, suddenly feeling less sure about calling her now that we were talking. The others had told me she'd been needed at work but whatever she was doing certainly didn't sound like work.

"What do you need Minako?" She asked, her breath still sounding heavy, and my feeling of awkwardness increased.

"I missed seeing you tonight." I told her, my voice falling flat but I pressed on. "I was kind of hoping to talk to you in person, it's been a long time since we've actually spoken."

I took a breath, knowing this wasn't how I'd wanted to break the silence between us. I had wanted to see her today, as we'd all planned, to try and catch up. I missed her, and the rest of my friends. Not talking to her, being on poor terms, left a whole in my heart. I missed her with every moment but one learned to live with such things. Live with it and heal.

"Anyway, you sound like you're in the middle of something so I'll get to the point. I, uh, wanted to invite you to my engagement party."

There was near silence on the other end of the line. Muffled movement left me wondering what was going on.

"Rei?" I asked finally after the wait became lengthy.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" She asked, the distracted sound of her voice had returned with reinforcements.

"I was inviting you to my engagement party, it's this Friday? I... I'd really like you to be there, Rei." I prompted, some indefinable emotion seeping into my tone. It felt a bit like longing but it was deeper. I missed my best friend more than I could describe. I wanted her with me, I wanted her to be a part of my life, to share in my happiness.

There was a deep sigh.

"I'm working that night Minako, I'm sorry. I'll see about getting together with you later, alright? Now I've really got to go, I'm in a bit of a life or death situation right now." Rei replied, hanging up the moment I stammered out a good bye. For a second I remained frozen in place, trying to come to grips with the conversation – the flush still warm on my cheeks.

"A bit of a life or death situation? Maybe a little death is exactly what you need." I muttered to myself with a roll of my eyes, as much as Rei drove me insane with her antics... I really couldn't hold that against her. She seemed to be moving on, just as I had.

Then Kunzite took my hand, drawing my attention to him with a smile.

"You get a hold of your friend?" He asked.

"Um, yeah but she was... busy." I said, hoping my distraction wasn't noticed. "Doesn't sound like she can make it this Friday, she said something about work."

"That's too bad, sweetheart, I was really looking forward to meeting her." He commented, slinging his arm around my shoulders, his hand coming to rest against my bicep, rubbing it soothingly.

I pushed the thought of Rei's offhand refusal out of my mind, content to simply enjoy what time I had with my loved ones. Well, until I caught sight of Ami's expression, the soft frown that graced her features was mildly concerning.

BERYL

It was fairly easy to follow Rei's path once I'd pulled my car up behind her motorbike, it was just a matter of allowing the draw of power to lead me.

I slowed my pace as I approached and heard her speaking on the phone with someone. There was a conflicted look on Rei's face, a darkened expression that tried to mask everything else.

"I'm working that night, Minako. I'll see about getting together with you later, alright? Now I've really got to go, I'm in a bit of a life or death situation right now." Rei lied, the carefully crafted tone of distraction crumbling by the end of the sentence.

Rei looked like she'd rather die than continue on with the conversation she was currently having. I remained quiet, doing my best not to interrupt.

And then Rei was pocketing her phone and turning to face me without a hint of surprise on her face.

"You lied to her." I pointed out.

"Well, I promise not to make a habit of it." Rei retorted sarcastically with a vicious edge to her words. I raised an eyebrow, choosing not to comment. I'd clearly overstepped the bounds of our relationship. Then Rei sighed.

"My apologies. I seem to be in a rather foul mood." She muttered, not looking all that apologetic.

"Why did you lie to her?" I asked, knowing that Rei valued her relationship with Minako above all else.

"Which lie are you enquiring about?" Rei questioned, her voice stilted. Her eyes didn't meet mine, she seemed rather determined to keep her attention focused on the shadow between us.

"Even I can tell that you're not working that night." I told her, trying to understand how she could be pushing Minako out of her life like that.

"It's not that I'm busy, not exactly. It's more that I hate to make plans and then cancel them last minute. It's something that seems to happen more often than not, especially when I make plans outside of work. At least with work I'm not disappointing anyone but my father. And maybe my assistant. With my friends... it's hard."

"That's not all of it." I pointed out. This time Rei laughed, though it sounded bitter.

"Well, meeting Minako's fiance is just about the last thing I want to do and work gives me the perfect excuse to miss out on that encounter."

I was at a loss for words, unable to fathom how Minako and Rei's relationship had reached this point. In the old world the dedication and passion I'd witnessed between them had left little doubt in my mind that they were intended for one another.

Rei shook her head.

"Doesn't matter right now. What matters is making sure this situation and situations like it stay covert and contained. I can't do my job and worry about a social life at the same time. Seeing how this one is the more pressing of the two issues, it takes priority."

It was then I understood what Rei had been meaning when she said she was busy. She was always busy, either with her 'day' job or she was on call trying to clean up the mess she'd been left with. It was certainly no way to live. I'd be surprised if she wasn't suffering psychologically at this point. The stress and uncertainty alone would have detrimental effects on her well being, and that was without even bringing in the combat and irregular schedule.

"How do you manage it?" I found myself asking in disbelief. Rei shrugged.

"We managed to find a way to track down their presence in this world. Artemis, one of Serenity's old advisers, managed to design an app that works as a locator. It sends warnings to my phone and I do my best to keep things contained." Rei explained. I couldn't tell if she had misunderstood my question or if she was sidestepping it by pretending to misunderstand.

"This isn't your responsibility, Rei." I told her gently, trying to make her understand.

"Yeah, it kind of is. We're only in this mess because of me. I might as well be the one to clean it up." Rei retorted, I sensed that this was one topic I wasn't going to make much headway on.

"You don't deserve to have your whole life disrupted on account of my mistakes in the old world." I told her firmly.

"You mean _my_ mistakes." Rei corrected. I gave her a dark look, holding it until she folded. "Alright, fine, I see your point. I just don't see a solution to that. Artemis and Luna want to be the ones to talk to the others so that leaves me with exactly zero help for the time being."

"Let _me_ help you." Rei gave an incredulous laugh, seemingly caught off guard by my suggestion.

"You? Help me? With the shadows? You can't be serious."

"Why not?"

"First of all, you're campaigning. Second, the media is going to be on you night and day. And third, you're a god damn _Senator_." Rei exclaimed, sounding rather annoyed by the whole thing. Annoyed and a bit surprised by my seemingly illogical offer of aid.

"I'm perfectly capable of sneaking away for some _quiet_ time, Rei, how else do you think I managed to get out here?" I explained, doing my best not to frown at her. "You need time off – time when you don't have to worry about going off to fight someone elses battle. I'm not asking you to surrender this all over to me. I'm just asking you to get a day of rest once a week. A day where you do nothing but be a civilian."

Rei scowled at me but finally relented, pulling her phone from her pocket and sending me something on it.

"There. You'll be getting the same information as me but I swear to whatever gods are out there - if you don't stay out of the way I'll..."

"I won't interfere with your life, I just want to let you live it a little. I'll stay out of the way every day but one." I reassured her, incredibly thankful that she was trusting me with this information.

"You misunderstand. I'm not taking time off, I can't. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened and I wasn't there. I can't let them down like that." Rei muttered, I didn't have to ask what 'them' she was talking about.

"Then why give me this?"

"Because they're your people, you deserve to know where they are." And with that she was gone, disappearing into the darkness without a trace. I sighed heavily. She just couldn't make things easy, could she?

 **REI**

My cellphone vibrated on the desk in front of me distracting me from the newspaper in front of me, idly I reached out and picked it up. I glanced at the screen before deciding to answer it – there were certain people I didn't feel like talking to right now.

"Morning Ami, what's up?" I asked, leaning back in my seat. Honestly, I'd been expecting this phone call last night after I'd disappeared on them. I was quite surprised that Ami had managed to restrain herself this long. I mean she was one for restraint and patience but not generally when concerned over her friends.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Ami told me, I could hear someone, probably Makoto, making noise in the background – preparing for the day ahead. Her voice lowered to almost a whisper, trying to avoid being overheard. "And not just about that secret you're keeping and why you ran off today. It's about that other thing."

"And what other thing would that be?" I asked. I had the feeling I knew what she was talking about but I wanted to hear her say it. I didn't want to talk about it if I didn't have to.

"Minako." Ami replied, her voice returning to a normal volume.

"Hm. Right." I muttered. I had known this was coming but I was still unprepared for it. I was fairly certain I would always be unprepared for it.

"So are you alright?" Ami asked. "About her getting married?"

I swallowed as I tried to think of what to say.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" I hedged, trying to keep my voice as neutral as possible.

"She told me that you aren't coming to the engagement party because of work and I know for a fact that you don't _technically_ work Friday nights; not running the business anyway. You go to AED headquarters and do paper work – which can easily be put off until another day." Ami let out an exasperated sigh, calling me out on my lie. There was a pause.

"What really makes me worry, Rei, is that you never talk about why it ended between you two. We've only ever heard Minako's side of the story..." Ami told me carefully, still wary of bringing up her name.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked, more defensive than was necessary, I knew the version Minako had given them and wasn't sure if my side of things would make things any more understandable for anyone.

"I want the truth." Ami told me, unfazed by my reaction. I sighed.

"We were headed in different directions and she needed space for that. I mean it's not like we were much more than fuck buddies anyways." I told her as truthfully as I could. I was trying not to picture the day of our break up, the look of sadness on Minako's face etched its self into my mind.

"That's bullshit and you know it Rei." Ami replied almost coolly.

"It's the truth." I protested, Ami made a noise that sounded like an annoyed grumble. From her it was almost cute. Not that I'd ever tell her that.

"I simply meant you were most definitely more than fuck buddies." Ami corrected. I nodded.

"At times." I agreed with her as much as I was able to. When you went from soul mates to hardly dating... it was difficult transition. Every time I saw her I felt crippled – part of me was missing. Her memories of me were gone and with them the significance of our relationship. She had been... Venusuian in this world, in a way she hadn't in the last. I tried to think of a way to say the next part as diplomatically as possible. "Minako... needed the freedom. I let her have it."

"As I recall she wasn't the only one with an outside relationship." Ami pointed out, catching my reference to Minako's promiscuity. I sighed, hearing Makoto's voice chime in, as if reminding Ami of something. Ami shushed her and then I heard a door shut. Ami was clearly taking our conversation somewhere more private, there was a distant laugh from Makoto.

"What did Makoto say?" I asked, feeling genuinely curious. Ami sighed and I could practically see her rolling her eyes.

"That at least Minako's other partners weren't married." Ami told me, sounding annoyed. I laughed, surprising even myself.

"I hope you glared at her for me." I prompted not taking the comment to heart.

"I did." Ami assured me. "And I do understand you know. You and Michiru _do_ have something special. It's always been obvious, to me at least."

"Did." I corrected, in an offhand manner; deciding now was the time to set the record straight. "We don't see each other anymore. The whole family over there is so busy it's hard to even get a hold of her."

"But at the time..." Ami started.

"That wasn't a factor in my break up with Minako. Michiru and I had stopped seeing each other before that, what with Michiru's wedding and all. Not my place to get involved after that." I explained, cutting across her; finally correcting the misconceptions I knew they all held. It was about time that I was honest with them, or at least Ami.

"But I thought..." Ami started and cut herself off. I knew what she was going to say. She had thought that Michiru and I had continued our relationship with one another after that point - that we'd been having an affair.

"Oh, we still met up but it was nothing serious, it was just as friends." I explained with a shrug. "You know? Drinks. Coffee. Maybe brunch if we were lucky. I love her but it's not like that, we just spent time catching up."

I could almost see Ami realigning her recollections of the past five years to take in this information. The resulting pattern would probably make even less sense than it did before. Almost on cue Ami started to speak.

"Then why did you and Minako break up?" She asked, sounding extremely confused.

"Like I said, she needed space."

"I think she could have gotten space, she _was_ going on tour" Ami's voice trailed off for a second then came back sounding almost angry and disapproving. "Rei, you didn't..."

"Didn't what?"

"Break up with her because she was going on tour." Ami continued, her voice was getting that icy edge to it. Usually that meant she was angry.

"Not exactly." I replied, knowing we were getting into the heart of the matter now. I still couldn't quite bring myself to address it first.

"You might want to try and be exact." Yup, she was definitely angry.

"It was more so she could go on tour." I tried to make my explanation sound right. Ami's silence prompted me to keep talking. "She wanted me to go with her, I couldn't. I was needed here and she needed to go on tour. So we parted ways."

"She needed to go on tour." Ami's voice echoed my words back at me. There was a long pause where I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she thought her way through it.

"She needed to go on tour." Ami repeated sounding dumbstruck, yet also like the last piece of the puzzle had slid into place. "Just like I _needed_ to go to med school and Makoto _needed_ to go to Paris after she got that job as an executive chef?"

This time I was the one who remained silent, caught a little off guard by the accusatory tone of her voice.

"You are an idiot of epic proportions, you know that?" Ami asked, I could hear her anger seething just below the surface. It had faded in her surprise and disbelief but now it was coming back with a vengeance. "Honestly, if you were here right now I'd slap you."

"Yeah. I'm pretty aware of that fact. But it needed to be done and we didn't all need to stick around, there wasn't much of a threat and you guys had things you wanted to do. I didn't. It made sense for me to be the one to stick around to take care of the problems that would arise." I told her, doing my best to explain what had happened. Or rather, why it had happened.

"Oh shut up Rei. You had things you wanted to do too. You didn't need to be the one to give up your dreams." Ami snapped at me.

"My father got sick, Ami. I couldn't just leave even if it was what I wanted to do." I replied, trying to keep a cool head. There was a soft noise from the other end of the phone, like a sigh. A murmur of agreement.

"Right. I'd forgotten about that." Ami acquiesced, sounding apologetic. "You still shouldn't have done that."

"I was the only one with a reason to stay, that made it the logical choice."

"So you just decided to take on all this responsibility by yourself? And keep it a secret from the rest of us?!" She demanded, her anger resurfacing with a vengeance.

"Not exactly." I replied, attempting to be as evasive as possible. I should have known better than that though. It was Ami, of course she would figure it out.

"It was Artemis and Luna wasn't it?" She asked me softly, this was the break in her anger; knowing that I hadn't reached this conclusion on my own.

"They were the ones who brought it up, they wanted to make sure the civilians were safe despite the fact we were all headed our separate ways. Ultimately it was my choice though."

"They were just the ones to talk you into it." Ami muttered, I could hear the anger in her voice but now it wasn't directed at me.

"It didn't take a lot of convincing, it was the right decision, Ami. I mean honestly, do you really think any of you would have left if you knew there was still a threat and I was staying behind to face it by myself? Of course you wouldn't. Every last one of you would have stayed, sacrificing your dreams so I wouldn't be alone... despite the fact I didn't need any goddamn help." I paused, taking a breath trying to cool the emotions that were rising within me. "I couldn't let you guys do that. So no, we didn't tell you. And I'm fucking glad."

"Rei. Thank you. Even if I hate you for doing this without talking to us... I appreciate it." Ami told me quietly, seeing the truth in my words; knowing that without that secret she, and the others, wouldn't have their current careers.

"Yeah, well, I'd say I'm sorry but I'm really not." I replied, with a shrug as I leaned back in my seat and rested my feet on my desk. Ami's laugh filtered through the phone.

"You are such an ass, you know that, right?" She asked me. I smiled at the ceiling, it had felt good to talk about it... I was still happy to be moving into less dangerous waters though.

"So you guys keep telling me."

 **MINAKO**

Nearly a week had passed since our conversation and I still hadn't managed to meet up with Rei. I'd had every intention of tracking her down and spending some time with her before my engagement party but somehow all my plans kept falling though.

Makoto had laughed when I'd mentioned that Rei was rather elusive, then she'd explained that she was like that with everyone. Things had changed since university, a fact that Ami had done her best to elaborate on the matter. The gist of what she had said was that we weren't kids anymore, we had lives, jobs, and responsibilities to take care of... and those separate lives wouldn't always allow us to see each other.

Logically it made sense but there was a nagging doubt in the back of my mind that told me it was more serious than that, Ami had seemed far too invested in it for it to be casual. Either Ami was hiding something from me or Rei was purposefully avoiding me. I paused as I realized it could be both, and that was far from a comforting thought.

I pushed it from my mind, I was probably only getting suspicious because Rei wasn't able to attend my engagement party. Whatever was going on with Ami and Rei was likely related to job stress or something.

I leaned back against Kunzite's chest, we were curled up on the couch together. He was watching a movie of some sort while I worked on polishing one of my song's lyrics.

"You're awfully quiet." Kunzite commented, pausing the movie. "What's up?"

"Just thinking about my, our, friends." I replied, tapping my pen against the sheet of paper. He laughed.

"So much for a productive writing session." He grinned, poking me in the side. I rolled my eyes as he kept that adorably stupid look on his face. "What about our friends has you distracted?"

"Not much, just thinking about our engagement party. Our friends have never really been together before."

"Ah, don't worry about it. Neph and Zoi have it all planned out. They're not going to let us down. As for them meeting everyone else... I think as long as Jadeite behaves himself we'll be okay."

This time I was the one to laugh, last time Kunzite's friends had joined us at one of my shows we'd all ended up horribly drunk. It had been a lot of fun actually but the next morning had been filled with regret.

"I think we should keep him away from the bar at all costs. We don't want him talking the bartender into serving us shots."

"Aw, come on love, it'll be fun." Kunzite protested jokingly or so I hoped.

"If you want to make a fool of yourself in front of my friends be my guest. I'll get Mamoru to document the whole debacle. It will give him prime material for the best man speech."

"Our engagement party could never be a debacle. And when has Mamoru ever been up for blackmailing me? I don't recall him being that much fun, not since he and his _princess_ got involved at least."

I found myself laughing, unable to explain to him why I found his choice of words so funny.

 **BERYL**

I supposed my surprise was a bit of an overreaction considering who was funding this leg of my campaign... but seeing Rei this morning was not something I had expected. Or planned for. My assistant had only just briefly touched on who would be attending this mornings' banquet style fundraiser and I was fairly certain Rei's name had not been on it.

And yet here she was, sprawled out on the outer steps having a smoke... looking as though she'd rather be anywhere else. She gave me as small nod as my assistant and I approached, an older man nudging her to her feet. With a world weary groan she obeyed, rising up and dusting off her clothes. The man ignored her, instead turning his attention to my assistant.

"You'd be Naomi, I'd assume? I'm Cort Kendrick, PR manager for AED Corp. I believe we spoke on the phone?" He greeted with a smile and a firm handshake.

"Pleasure to finally meet you in person Mr. Kendrick." Naomi replied in a brisk tone, brushing aside his assurances that she could call him Cort... wanting nothing more thanto get the formalities out of the way as quickly as possible so we could discuss more important matters. "This is Senator Artair, as you've probably gathered."

I stepped forward to shake his hand, rather more interested in his companion... which he seemed to catch on to. His hand shake was brief as he gestured to Rei, causing her to step forward.

"This is Rei Hino, her father – the chairman – couldn't make it today but she was only too happy to take over for him." Kendrick explained.

"Only too happy." Rei muttered under her breath with a barely noticeable roll of her eyes, but never the less she stepped forward to greet me, pretending as if we'd never met before in our lives.

"Senator Artair, I've heard a lot of good things about you."

"Please, Ms. Hino, call me Beryl. It seems we're to be spending a fair amount of time together today, I'd hate for things to be formal."

"As you wish, Ma'am." Rei replied with the barest hint of humour in her eyes. Kendrick stifled a groan.

"What she means to say Senator, is that you're welcome to call her Rei." He corrected sounding slightly pained. Rei shrugged and returned to her smoke. I glanced to Naomi and gave her a nod, knowing she was waiting patiently to resume her business. Instantly she drew Mr Kendrick away, launching into a discussion about the event to come. I waited until they'd entered the building before returning my attention to Rei.

"Ma'am?" I questioned in teasing disbelief. Rei coughed lightly as she inhaled slightly too much smoke. "Really?"

"Sorry, that was more to annoy Cort than you. He's been driving me insane."

"You sound like you've been here for a while." I commented. Rei shrugged, nodding over my shoulder towards the road.

"The guys at the end of the alley... some of yours?" She questioned, something clearly setting her on edge.

I looked in the direction she'd indicated, catching sight of one of the men lingering at the mouth of the alley, a coffee and a newspaper in his hands. I smiled, raising a hand in a small wave which he returned.

"Yes, they're part of my security detail. Plain clothes to avoid suspicion... though clearly not doing a good enough job." I reassured her, watching as the two men had a quick conversation before melting into the background again.

"Not their fault I can't relax." Rei muttered, breathing out a mouthful of smoke.

"How did you pick them out?" I asked her, genuinely curious. I wasn't concerned by the fact she'd made part of my team... it wasn't like they were the only protection I had.

"Seemed a bit too intent on you. Well, that and they're obviously carrying – a gun a piece as far as I can tell and the bigger guy has at least one boot knife."

"How on earth do you know that?"

"Practice. The guns I'm still getting used to but knives? That's old news. You pick that up pretty quick when your life depends on it."

I hummed softly in answer, remembering just how her life had been in the old world. I hadn't really comprehended what effect those memories would have on her in this life. But here we were...

"I take it this kind of thing is old news to you by now?" Rei prompted, jerking her head in the direction my assistant and the PR manager had gone.

"What, fundraisers?" I asked. Rei shook her head.

"Public speaking." She commented with a faint smirk. I laughed.

"Pretty much." I told her. "Being a politician gets you rather accustomed to it."

"Least you've got plenty of experience." Rei commented, adjusting her sleeves after she stubbed out her cigarette.

"Are you nervous?" I asked, genuinely curious. Her laugh told me that she wasn't.

"I might hate it but it doesn't make me nervous. I just find it insanely tedious."

"You seem to find a lot tedious."

"Not a lot. Just people." Rei told me with a faint grin, a hint of sarcasm gracing her tone. I laughed, shaking my head. We stood in silence for a few moments, each wrapped up in our own thoughts. Personally I was searching for another topic of conversation I thought Rei would play along with, I wanted to learn more about her – get to know what made her tick. Eventually my brain settled on something she might go for.

"Why are you working in a bar? I was curious the first time we met, though I forgot to ask." I prompted.

"Oh really?" Rei questioned, seeming honestly amused by that but her good humour faded as she started explaining. "My father is the reason I'm here at all, he got sick and needed someone to take over some of his duties; I'm practically a messenger. I was already involved peripherally, working at one of the smaller businesses as it allowed me some freedom regarding my hours. After he got ill, I just ended up taking more and more on."

"But you must have had a dream? Something you wanted to do with your life? I remember you being so... determined, nothing would sway you from your chosen path.

"My chosen path is to look after the others, even if they don't really remember me. It's the only thing I can do..." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. I nodded in understanding.

"You've always felt a sense of responsibility. You see war, conflict, and injustice, and you want to get involved. You want to help resolve those issues in the most peaceful way possible."

Rei looked at me, her eyes indecipherable but then she let out a sigh.

"Yes. That's why it was so easy to give up what I wanted to do. I knew pursuing my _whims_ would piss off everyone around me. They'd be worried, they'd think..."

"That you were running away from them. From your duty." I stated. Again she nodded, this time her jaw clenched and I realized we were stepping in to dangerous territory. I decided to steer the conversation back in its original direction. "So you decided to run a night club? I have to say, it's not what I was expecting but it suits you, oddly enough."

Rei let out a relieved sounding laugh.

"Yeah?" She asked, quirking a brow.

"Yes. You provide a sanctuary and I would say that is very like you. In the past, you wanted nothing more than to shelter those you loved. No matter how it affected you. This doesn't seem to have changed... only now you offer different kinds of shelter."

Rei shrugged, then we both looked up as my assistant approached us; she looked far more cautious than I felt the situation warranted. Rei straightened as she glanced at her cell while I did the same. It was time to get this show on the road.

 **REI**

I stepped out in front of the gathering, preparing to address them on my father's behalf. He had completely funded this leg of her campaign and made a substantial donation to some of the charities she supported, it was all a ploy on his part to curry favour with the one most likely to rise to power.

And while I knew from experience that Beryl was the best choice I couldn't help but be annoyed with him over this. If I was speaking on my own behalf this speech wouldn't be a problem but I was speaking for him and his company. My father wanted to show his support for her but not for her politics. He was still a traditionalist at heart while Beryl... she was innovative and revolutionary.

I cleared my throat.

"Well, seeing how my father shelled out a lot of money to fund this gathering, I guess it's up to me to give the introduction to the good Senator." I paused, giving a bit of a wry grin; drawing a few chuckles from the crowd.

"My father, Masaru Hino – the CEO of AED Corporation, has always prided himself on his pragmatism. He would say that this gesture is not about politics but about the future. That being said, he and his company's values may not always align with the popular politics, that is to say with Senator Beryl Artair's politics... but this is not about political parties or stances; rather it is about who is best for our nation at this point in time."

I hesitated slightly, glancing over at Beryl; she was very obviously trying to avoid commenting on the speech I was having to give. To her, it was obvious that I was practically gagging the bullshit that was coming out of my mouth.

My Father wanted nothing more than to have a Senator in his pocket.. and Beryl was, by all accounts, the best bet. She was rapidly rising in the polls and he figured he might as well take a gamble – he would have to support someone with opposing views to his own, and risk getting called out on it.. But he was a shrewd man and, as a former politician, he knew how to turn any situation to his advantage.

"AED may disagree with Senator Artair on several key issues but my father, as well as the board of directors, have vowed to overlook those discrepancies and dedicate their time, money, and assets to bringing about the next great era."

I looked back to Beryl who was standing just out of the crowd's sight off stage, I gestured in her direction indicating for her to join me. The cheers started before I even began the introduction.

"Senator Beryl Artair will be the one to lead us towards that _bright_ future." I finished, stepping away from the stand and Beryl stepped on to the stage to thunderous applause.

To be perfectly honest, she didn't seem as composed as when I had last seen her. She looked ready to burst out laughing at my word choice as I stepped over to shake her hand.

"Well, that was inspiring." She commented as we grasped hands, her other hand coming to rest against my upper arm. I smirked.

"What can I say? It was scripted. Don't expect such eloquence in the future." I told her. She laughed, giving my hand a final shake before we parted ways and I stepped down off the stage. Now it was time for her to work her magic, bringing back all that charisma, seduction, and sway from her past self into the future.

Yes, Beryl certainly was a force to be reckoned with.

 **LUNA**

I watched the TV in stunned disbelief, the political coverage on the news had shown Rei and the Senator at a rally of some sort. Artemis had told me that Rei had seen Beryl, and that she hadn't denied it, but he'd made it sound as if their meeting was a fluke – some freak accident that would never happen again.

And yet, here I was. Watching the two of them on TV.

Even with my suspicion of Rei I'd never expected this, her open support and easy camaraderie with Beryl was baffling. Rei and Beryl interacted like they'd know each other forever, the looks that passed between them hinted that there was more going on between them than just a political endorsement.

I found my hand shaking as I lifted the remote and turned off the TV. There was only one explanation for this, Rei had lied to Artemis's face when he'd asked her about what she and Beryl had spoken about.

If Rei was willing to lie to us about this, to betray us like this, I needed to find some way to lessen her impact on the course of events. I needed to get the others up to speed as soon as possible, preferably with them having little interaction with Rei. We couldn't let her lead them astray, we had a mission that needed to be completed.

I sighed, burying my head in my hands, trying to think of how to achieve this. I needed to get a hold of the others without Rei knowing and without the others getting suspicious of her absence. I needed a plan.

 **BERYL**

Time dragged on as I fielded questions from the press and my donors. At one point, Rei and I had been dragged off for a photo op orchestrated by one of our entourages – I couldn't be sure whose. Both parties saw the advantage of making our meeting and interaction as public as possible. Rei had joined us with a look of annoyance, doing her best to keep a pleasant expression on her face for as much as it she could. In the end all she could conjure was a rueful grimace.

Rei slipped away from us the moment an opportunity presented itself, leaving me along with the other company reps and investors. I smiled at her when I caught her eye from across the room, I was pleasantly surprised that she hadn't completely abandoned the event... at least yet. I knew it was coming but I hoped she'd stick around for a while, I enjoyed her company – still finding her an enthralling presence.

Cort, however, was not as permissive of Rei's behaviour as I was; dragging her back into the thick of the gathering. Almost instantly one of the reporters latched on to her.

"Looking at the difference in political opinion between your father and the Senator, is it true that Masaru Hino didn't come today to distance himself from this event as much as possible?" He asked, Rei seemed a bit caught off guard by the question.

"If my father could be here today he would be." Rei replied diplomatically with barely any hesitation.

"That doesn't answer my question." The reporter pointed out, angling for some elaboration on her part.

"That's odd, it didn't really sound like a question. It sounded more like an accusation meant to stir up controversy for some hatchet job you hope will bulk up your portfolio." Rei commented, with a smile in place. "So let me make this clear, my father was unable to attend because he's ill. Which I believe I addressed in my introduction. Now, if you don't have any intelligent questions... please leave."

The reporter gaped for a second then cleared his throat... clearly flustered. I glanced in Mr. Kendrick's direction, he wasn't stepping in just yet.

"Uh. Do you have any comments how the company's direction will change now that it's sponsored the Senator's campaign?"

"Is that question really asking 'will the company start to align itself more closely with the political left's ideals?" Rei asked with a sigh. There was a pause... and as it grew in length Rei grumbled.

"I'll take that as a yes." Rei muttered. "AED Corp has always been a company that will look to the betterment of the community and nation as a whole, Senator Artair's political agenda aligns quite closely with that bottom line despite the _apparent_ differences."

Mr. Kendrick gave a slight nod to Rei as she basically regurgitated the speech they'd written for her earlier.

"And how do you, as the heir to the AED empire, see this endorsement of Senator Artair? And how does it fit in with where _you're_ going to lead the company?" Came the next question, Rei's expression turned steely, despite maintaining an outwardly friendly appearance. Mr Kendrick immediately began shouldering his way towards her, looking slightly panicked.

"I'm afraid I haven't thought much on the direction I'd take the company, I've been rather wrapped up in making sure that doesn't have to happen." Rei informed him coolly.

"And your thoughts on Senator Artair? As the heir to AED, I mean?" The reporter pushed, Rei only smiled, a rigid expression on her face.

"I can only repeat what I said earlier; this is not about political parties or stances; rather it is about what is best for our nation at this point in time."

"Ms. Hino, sorry to interrupt; you're needed for another..." Kendricks interrupted and immediately Rei was ducking out of the conversation. I started to move in her direction but was brought up short as my cellphone buzzed. I pulled it out as Rei stepped back into the gathering around me, it consisted of mostly AED reps and my own campaign staff at the moment. I noticed that she was mirroring my movement, pulling her own phone out.

When I finally concentrated on the screen I was brought up short, the insistent flashing of the screen was warning me of another incursion. I looked up, meeting Rei's eyes as she pocketed her own device. There was a conflicted look on her face, like she was torn between elation and resignation. When she caught me looking she shrugged.

And then Kendrick was beside her.

"Well, at least you didn't do too much damage." He told her. "You did _mostly_ stick to the script, after all. Any fallout will be your business and not the company's."

"Yes, Cort, Thank _god_ for that." Rei gritted out as she rolled her eyes. One of the AED representatives was looking ready to draw her into a conversation or a lecture.

"Now, as much as I'd love to stick around – we all know I'm lying so I'll cut the pretense." Rei addressed the AED representatives in a bored sounding tone, I nearly laughed. I'd been having trouble picturing her interacting with any sort of businessmen but here we were. "Now, if there's nothing pressing... I'll get on my way and deal with things that are actually _important_. Unlike this pathetic posturing you're doing."

With a flick of her eyes in my directions she bid me farewell and was on he way, leaving her companions standing there looking aghast. Kendrick managed to compose himself and turned to face me.

"I apologize for Ms. Hino, she's rather..." He fumbled for words. "Driven?"

"There's no reason to apologize, I'm certain she has more important matters to attend to." I replied diplomatically, trying to hide my amusement. I glanced down at my cell and texted Rei. _Let me know how it goes._

 **REI**

After dealing with the shadow, I'd had to return home before doing anything else. I'd managed to thoroughly trash my clothes, understandable considering they were made for photo ops and over the top gatherings... Normally my attire was far more durable or better at hiding the damage.

I walked into the club and found my assistant was hovering anxiously. Ren had latched on to me the moment I'd set foot in the establishment.

"I've been trying to reach you all day. You're four hours late, you were supposed to be here at noon." She stated, her tone admonishing. I glanced over.

"I was busy." I replied curtly.

"Obviously not with anything work related. " She muttered. "You've been disappearing on us so often lately. Where do you go?"

"Nowhere in particular."

She rolled her eyes.

"You know I hate it when you're evasive." She told me. I did my best to ignore the faint hint of worry in her tone. I did better if I didn't let myself get attached to anyone.

"You said you were trying to get a hold of me..." I said, hoping she'd tell me what all the fuss was about. It would distract her from asking too many questions.

"Oh right." She said before taking a deep breath. It would seem there was a long anecdote involved. Inwardly I winced, this issue would take a fair amount of time to resolve properly if the breath was anything to judge by. I reached out and laid a finger on her lips before she could speak. She met my eyes, a surprised look on her face.

"The short story please." I requested. "I want to get this sorted out as soon as possible."

I could almost see her brain whirling away in her head, trying to sort out the short story for me. After a moment she nodded and I removed my finger.

"We doubled booked the VIP area." She told me. I felt my heart sink in my chest.

"What?" I groaned.

"It's not my fault we can't read your writing." She retorted. I shook my head, making my way to my office. She trailed behind me.

"What time does your party get here?" I asked sharply, sitting down at my desk and leafing through the paperwork.

"They wanted the area from ten until closing time." Ren replied, her voice meek. I gave a distracted nod, checking the time slots for tonight. The group I'd booked weeks ago wanted a sedate evening with wine tasting, an open bar, and fancy decorations. They had booked the rooms from the moment we opened until about nine thirty. Usually we didn't have two parties in a single evening... in fact it was practically a rule. Hosting two events in a single night put severe strain on the establishment... or rather the establishment's employees. We provided quality service and catered to their every need. There was only so much of that ass-kissing we could manage in an evening.

I sighed, knowing that it was unlikely I could convince either group to reschedule. I guess I'd have to break the rule and do my best to personally pick up the slack. I was positive that most of my employees would be exhausted by the time the second party arrived.

"Provided we open up the VIP area earlier than normal we can have the previous booking in and out before they arrive and still allow a bit of time for clean up. We'll hold your party in the regular seating area until we're done. A few complementary drinks should smooth over the delay." I muttered, scribbling down notes. I glanced over at Ren.

"Did they request any speciality catering?" I questioned.

"Appetizers and desserts, nothing too difficult. They're having dinner before they come here. This is just where they're having the bulk of the party." She told me. I nodded, finally grateful for the connections my father's company gave me. I could just coerce one of my father's other business managers to take on that work in their kitchens.

"Anything else important?" I asked. "Any special decorations? Any other requests?"

"They wanted another bartender on duty to attend to their needs specifically rather than using the others on staff. They're willing to pay the hourly wage for the extra person but..." Her apprehensive tone let me know what she was about to say.

"Let me guess... we don't have any people available." I prompted. She shook her head. I ran a hand through my long hair and gave a sigh. "Fucking holiday season."

There was a moment of silence as I thought about who I could call. Nobody came to mind. My normal go-to-guy was out of the country on a much deserved vacation. I knew what had to happen.

"I can stay late tonight, I'll take over those duties." I told her with a sigh. She nodded, the meek expression returning.

"Sorry." She whispered. I glanced over, she looked visibly upset.

"No. It's no big deal really. Shit happens." I told her. She was doing her best and I obviously hadn't been much help today. "I should have been here. It's not your fault."

She looked comforted by my words, a smile grew slowly on her face.

"Would have helped if somebody had returned my calls." She told me pointedly. I sighed and shook my head, unable to help the smile that came to match hers.

"Sorry about that." I told her, leaning back in my seat. She sat down on my desk.

"Where do you go, anyway?" She asked with curiosity and concern in her eyes and voice.

"What if I told you I was out saving the world?" I replied, a teasing tone entering my voice as I tried to play it off as a joke. She rolled her eyes again.

"Forget I asked." She told me, looking a bit disappointed with me as she pushed herself off my desk. There was a pause. A devilish grin crossed her face as she looked back at me. I always hated it when I saw that look. It meant she had finally worked up the courage to be a smart ass.

"Well, at least if you were saving the world you'd be getting _some_ play. Any kind of action would be welcome at this point, yeah?" Ren quipped before leaving my office, shutting the door behind her. I sighed, I had been unable to come up with a retort for that one.

I shook my head again before looking down at my notes, I reached for my phone, deciding that I should probably get the catering situation sorted out before I started on anything else. The rest would fall into place as long as we kept our heads, the food however, needed tending to. Our kitchen staff were overworked on a normal night, the holiday season was complete hell for us. A profitable hell... but hell just the same.

I dialled the cell number for one of my associates... well, the only associate I could actually call my friend. He was probably one of the few good things that had happened through my interactions with my father's company. I waited as the phone rang. A lazy voice answered.

"Kade speaking."

"Hey." I greeted. I could hear a soft chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Now what on earth has you phoning?" He asked. I could tell he had a huge grin on his face. How someone like him got involved with my father, I'd never know.

"I need a favour actually." I told him, tracing my fingers along the rim of the water glass that rested on my desk.

"What could someone such as yourself need from a humble restaurant owner like myself." He said. I rolled my eyes.

"The attempt at modesty isn't doing you any good, seeing as I already know you're a self-absorbed son of a bitch. You own one of the best restaurants in the city and you won't let anyone forget it, so cut the crap." I grumbled. There was another laugh.

"That's high praise coming from you, Rei. You must really need that favour. Plus, the way I hear it... My restaurant's status as the city's best may be under fire. You seem to be building up some pretty decent competition with that chef friend of yours."

"Officially, I have nothing to do with that." I told him seriously, glancing at the ceiling.

"Of course. But off the books, you gave that friend of yours the start up loan for her business. Bet your father wasn't too thrilled you were helping the competition." Kade said conversationally. I didn't even bother to ask where he was getting his information.

"He still doesn't know. And, by the way, our relationship is really none of your business... and neither are my spending habits." I told Kade, trying my hardest to keep the disdain out of my voice. The mere thought of my father put me on edge.

Kade and I were a part of what my father called the 'next generation'. We were a necessary evil in his eyes, we may have upset the professional atmosphere of his empire but we were needed to keep his businesses up to date. We gave him an edge over his competition; some part of me wondered if this was the only reason he even bothered to keep me around... even after that talk with Silas.

"It's really entertaining though. Seeing you and your father interact is like watching a train crash play out." Kade stated, definitely trying to make light of the situation... probably realizing he'd brought up a sore subject. My father and I didn't have the best relationship... which probably did provide some level of entertainment for assholes like Kade.

"I'll buy you tickets to our next meeting." I replied testily, my relationship with my father was the emotional equivalent of a roller-coaster ride and I did not like talking about it. As much as I liked Kade, he was goddamned annoying at times. "Now can we get on with business?"

"Sure thing, love." He replied. If we were in the same room I would have punched the grin off his face. I shook my head, part of me wondered why I hadn't phoned one of the other people in my father's 'empire'. Most of them were still from my father's generation and they would have simply asked what the hell I needed and hung up once we resolved the issue. With a barely concealed growl I explained the problem. There was silence on the other end of the line.

"You do realize what time of year it is, don't you?" He asked, his tone serious for once.

"Yes, I know it's nearly Christmas, but you still owe me for the Valentine's day fiasco last year. I figured I'd give you something equally challenging to cope with. Oh, and I want you to know I still haven't forgiven you for that." I reminded him. Kade and I tended to rely on one another when we fucked up business wise. It kept our issues under my father's radar. This relationship between Kade and I was the real reason I hadn't called someone from the older generation. I knew he wouldn't throw me to the wolves.

"Fine. I'll get it done for you. But this makes us even, okay?" Kade replied, clearly thinking along the same lines as me. If my father never got wind of our mistakes he let us have free reign over our businesses... and neither of us wanted that to change. We didn't need someone looking over our shoulders all the time.

"Sure thing Kade. Just so long as you don't pull that Valentine's day stunt again."

"I won't promise anything." He told me, I could tell he had a stupid grin on his face again. The bastard.

"Yeah, whatever. Talk to you later." I replied, hanging up, not really caring if he was joking or not. I'd sort out that shit later.

I tossed my cellphone down on my desk, rubbing a hand along my face slowly. There was a knock on my office door.

"Come in." I growled. I just wanted five minutes of quiet before I dealt with more people. It just didn't seem realistic though.

Ren eased the door open, slipping into my office. In one hand she held a sheaf of paperwork – the other held a mug of tea. A peace offering no doubt.

"I'm going to murder that boyfriend of yours." I grumbled, she smiled at me as she set the mug down on my desk before handing over the paperwork.

"You always say that." She replied placatingly. "Now I believe its time for you to deal with the payroll."

"I really should just have you do it. I'm training you to become the general manager anyway."

"You'd have to authorize my signature on those forms and the banks and head office are closed already. Maybe next time boss." She replied, her answer sounding far to quick for my liking.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you didn't want to deal with the extra work." I grumbled.

"What can I say? I love having your charming personality here as much possible." She retorted. I chuckled. Between her and Kade it was really hard to stay angry.

I walked into the VIP room and prepared for a very long night when I heard a very familiar laugh. I looked over, Minako was standing talking to Ami and the others. They caught sight of me before I had a chance to duck back out of the room, Minako beamed when her eyes met mine. I knew she wasn't smiling for the reasons I wanted, but seeing that look... well, I'd take it.

"Rei, I can't believe you made it." She exclaimed happily, coming over to give me a hug. I returned it, unable to refuse her anything.

"I didn't realize this was your party." I replied. Minako looked confused. I gave a bit of a wry smile as I explained. "This is... well, where I work."

"You work... in a club?" She asked, looking even more confused. Ami jumped in to explain.

"Technically she owns and manages this establishment along with a wide array of other business holdings and firms." Ami said. Minako's eyes flicked over to me again, this time there was worry in them.

"This is your father's doing... isn't it?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Mostly mine actually. I had nothing better to do."

"But you wanted to..." I shook my head, I hadn't had a dream in a long time. There were some things you just had to give up on.

"Nah. I was needed elsewhere and the work here is rewarding enough; I'm actually rather good at it." I told her, avoiding the specifics. I didn't need to add that everything I did here was just so she could be happy a little while longer.

"Massive understatement." Ami murmured under her breath. Minako laughed, laying her hand against my arm. I gave Ami an exasperated look, unable to believe she'd even hint at my extra curricular activities near Minako.

"All she means to say is that I've gotten them all incredibly drunk before. I'm especially talented working the bar... which is what I'm 'supposed' to be doing right now actually." I replied with a forced laugh; taking the opportunity to extract myself from an increasingly painful moment. Her familiarity with me after everything that had happened between us was making this harder than it should have. I'd broken up with her, not the other way around. I shouldn't have felt as betrayed as I did. "Anyone want a drink?"

I certainly did.

Ami joined me at the bar as I prepared the drinks, surprising me with her silence. I'd thought that she'd want to talk about what was going on but apparently she was letting me have my space. It was then I noticed that I could hear one of the waitresses leading someone into the VIP area.

Ami bit down on her lip, giving me a sympathetic glance. I sighed, knowing that Minako's fiance had just arrived. I did my best to swallow my pride and emotions... I was supposed to be civil to him. He was what Minako wanted. She had chosen him. I'd had my chance and I fucked it up.

Minako's face lit up as she realized who was walking in, she reached down and took my hand, threading our fingers together. It was like getting punched in the stomach, it left me feeling weak and in need of air. And she was very clearly unaware of what that action did to me. I did my best to smile at seeing her so happy, I just wished that it didn't hurt so much.

"I want you to meet my fiance." Minako told me. I nodded, turning around as I responded to her guidance. I came face to face with someone very familiar. Confusion and anger reigned supreme before I could pull the emotions back. It wouldn't be good if Minako caught wind of them. "Rei, this is..."

"Kunzite." I stated, unable to stop myself from saying his name as I tried to recover from the shock of seeing him. His eyes jerked up to my face upon hearing my voice, his face froze slightly.

A distant look entered his eyes. I watched the momentary look of confusion cross his face before recognition dawned on him. It was then I realized that he hadn't remembered anything until now.

The last vestiges of anger at him drained away, they were replaced with a simmering resentment for Queen Serenity. She couldn't even let me hate them in peace, she had stripped them of everything that made me hate them.

"Rei." He choked out, sounding bewildered.

"You two know each other?" Minako asked, looking surprised.

"We've known each other a long time." I replied, doing my best to hide the darkness in my tone, my eyes never leaving Kunzite's face. He look a little unnerved. I glanced over at Minako.

"Mind giving us a little time to catch up?" I asked her. She nodded, still looking a little astounded. She left the two of us and went back to talking to Makoto and Ami. I turned my gaze to Kunzite, motioning to the door.

He looked a little pale as he turned around, I followed him from the VIP area before showing him the way outside.

We stepped out into the alleyway.

"Is this where you kill me?" Kunzite asked in a low voice. Quite honestly he sounded scared. I looked over at him, leaning back against the building. I shook my head.

"No." I replied.

"Why not?" He asked, I reached into my back pocket and fished out my pack of smokes. I offered him one, he took it. His hand shook only slightly. I lit my cigarette and tossed him the lighter. He continued as I took a drag of my smoke. "I mean, I saw your face when you first looked at me. It looked like you wanted to tear out my heart with your bare hands."

I sighed, letting the lit cigarette dangle between my fingers.

"I won't kill you because she got to you too. I don't know how she did but... somehow it happened. Even if it shouldn't have."

"What are you talking about?" Kunzite asked, taking a puff of his smoke as he handed the lighter back to me. Some of the colour was returning to his face.

"Queen Serenity." I said lowly. "I could see in your eyes that you only just remembered everything. None of the others can remember anything. Well, that's not exactly true. It's just what they do remember is false."

Kunzite rubbed a hand over his eyes.

"Shit." He swore, looking like he was going to be sick. I remembered feeling that way when I first got my memories back. The onslaught of events and emotions made everything feel unreal. It was like going insane. Sometimes I still felt like that.

"Keep smoking. It helps." I told him, he needed something else to concentrate on or he could get lost in the memories. That... or get violently ill.

"Is that all real?" He asked, after a few minutes of steady smoking. I nodded. He leaned his head back against the wall. Suddenly his eyes widened and his head jerked around so he could face me.

"Beryl?" He asked frantically. I flicked the remainder of my cigarette onto the ground, stepping on it. I nodded.

"Yeah, it's all real." I told him, thinking back to my earlier meeting with Beryl. Somehow being around her made me feel vaguely guilty and almost... at home. She was so understanding, she didn't blame us for anything, she just wanted our help making things right. It was help I was feeling more and more inclined to provide.

"That's not what I was asking. Did she come back as well?" He questioned. I nodded again.

"Ran into her a few nights ago, though I've known of her existence for a bit longer. Take a look at the political section of the news when you get a chance." I told him. "Long story short...She's looking for you and the others and she remembers everything."

There was silence between us for a few minutes. Kunzite took the last few drags of his smoke before tossing it on to the pavement next to mine. We both watched the glowing ember for a few seconds.

"What happens now?" He asked me, there was a faint trace of a smile. "You'd be the one to ask, right?"

I shrugged, unable to crack a smile at his attempt at humour.

"I don't exactly know. We're all different people now." I replied, glancing back at the door... towards Minako. "Things change."

"Shit." Kunzite swore again, catching my look. It looked like his world was crashing down again. "Shit. I'm so sorry. Gods above, it's just... I was drawn to her, you know? I..."

"Kunzite, shut up. You're rambling." I ordered sharply, forgetting myself for a moment. His eyes met mine, he was looking like a deer in the headlights. He drew in a few steadying breaths, responding to the dangerously commanding tone of my voice.

"I'm not normally like this, you know?" He said, leaning over a bit as he calmed himself.

"I know." I told him. He looked back up at me.

"Rei... why aren't you two together? I mean, you were always so protective of her. What happened?"

I shook my head. I couldn't explain it. I didn't know how to. I knew my reasons for letting her go but I didn't know her reasons for not wanting to stay. Or come back to me.

I paused, thinking back on Kunzite's words. Anger swelled in me, remembering how they had been drawn to Minako in the past. They had tried to use her against me.

"Wait. When you say you were drawn to her...?" I started warningly. I focused on Kunzite, feeling warmth rise in the palms of my hands. Fire was beginning to spread towards my finger tips. Kunzite caught the look on my face, he backed off a bit raising his hands slightly. He was trying to put some distance between us.

"No. Wait. It wasn't like that. I never wanted to hurt her. It's just... it felt like I knew her. And I always was attracted to..." His voice trailed off as I raised an eyebrow, letting the fire fade from my hand. He had always been attracted to her? That was news to me. News that made me want to punch him just for the satisfaction it would give me.

"I can't believe you haven't killed me yet." He stated in disbelief, looking annoyed with himself.

"I can't kill you, as much I as I would have wanted to, that would upset Minako and I can't hurt her like that. You are her fiance after all, she loves you." I muttered, trying not to let my voice betray the pain I felt. Kunzite met my eyes.

"What do we tell them?"

I shook my head. I didn't know. I'd been trying to tell them about all the things I remembered for years. There had never been time though. Well, there had been time but never the right time. There was never a time where I'd thought they would believe me.

"How long have you remembered this past for?" He asked, very obviously trying not to let silence fall between us.

"Almost my whole life." I replied, giving a shrug. "And I still can't figure out how to bring up the topic with them.

I paused for a moment, shaking my head softly. I was almost disgusted with my lack of initiative but...

"They all seem so happy with the edited version of events. There was never a good time." I gave a heavy sigh. "And I don't think there ever will be."

Kunzite shook his head. I looked back towards the club.

"We should probably get back in there." I told him. "She'll be missing you."

"So what do we say when they ask how we know each other?" He asked me. I looked over.

"You're a music producer or something right? We can say we met at a publicity event." I told him. He fought back a grin, it was close enough to to the truth. Our first meeting had been about political alliances, it had been all about making good impressions and marketing yourself. That sounded close enough to what we both did now. We would be able to make this farce work until we could figure something else out.

"Wait. Rei... in this life, what are you?" He asked me, grabbing my arm. He let go quickly, as if remembering that I didn't like people in my personal space.

"A politician's daughter." I replied edgily. "We both have a lot of practice at putting on a good show... huh?"

Kunzite shrugged, looking increasingly thoughtful. I had the feeling it was the same look I wore when I drew too many parallels between this world and the old world.

"Some things never really change, do they?" He asked, following me back inside. Once we were inside, I felt him place a hand on my shoulder.

"She talks about you a lot." He said, softly. "A lot more than she does any of the others. I just thought you should know that."

"Fuck you." I replied, unable to find it in myself to thank him for telling me. There was still a lingering animosity between us... at least from my perspective.

AN: That's it for this chapter folks. Well, not _really_ because I got fed up with how long it was getting and decided to chop it into two 'shorter' chapters... so this work of sixteen chapters has now become an ordeal of seventeen (and potentially still growing..?). Also, this chapter is for all those who reviewed/messaged me to get my shit in line and get back to work on this. Thanks for that, it's what I needed. Cheers - KR


	6. Chapter 5: Picking At The Pieces

Chapter Five: Picking At The Pieces

Loss and possession,  
death and life are one,  
there falls no shadow  
where there shines no sun.  
\- Hilaire Belloc

 **MINAKO**

I watched as Rei and Kunzite walked back into the club, his hand had come to rest on her shoulder. Her expression darkened and she spat out a vicious reply. Kunzite smiled softly, sheepishly rubbing a hand across the back of his neck as he headed in my direction. I raised an eyebrow at the rueful look he sent her way. A quick glance of my own in Rei's direction told me she was silently fuming about something.

"What was that about?" I asked Kunzite as he slid an arm around my waist. There was a guilty flicker in his eyes before he sighed.

"Just spent some time catching up with an old _friend_. I forgot how... intense she could be." He admitted, nostalgia heavy in his voice. I blinked at the emotion tingeing his soul, remorse lay there solidly but there was something else there... something deep rich and complicated.

"You say that like you missed it. Missed _her_." I pointed out, somehow finding myself narrowing my eyes at the thought. I hadn't even known he and Rei were acquainted. He'd certainly never mentioned it. Nor had she.

"It's nice to have something familiar." He told me, a fond smile on his lips. I paused inwardly, wondering what that look was about. And what I was missing between the two of them.

"Familiar? When did you two meet?" I asked, firmly telling myself I _wasn't_ jealous.

"Work function, back before you and I met." He replied simply, then continued with a soft laugh when I gave him a curious look. "She spent the whole night looking like she wanted to throw someone out a window. I managed to have it not be me and kept her out of trouble. She joined me for some _conversation_ and we've kept in touch ever since."

Kunzite finished with a shrug. It was painfully obvious to me that he was lying about something but I couldn't pick up on which part was the lie, most of it sounded quite convincing from what I knew of the pair. I gave him a smile, deciding to let the matter drop.

"Well, that certainly sounds like Rei. The getting in trouble part at least." I told him.

"She's good at that, isn't she?" He laughed, leaning back against table letting his casual posture do the talking for me. His knee tapped against mine pointedly, drawing my eyes back to his face.

 **KUNZITE**

"So, how about you two? How'd you meet?" I asked, finding myself genuinely curious about how Minako and Rei could have met and _not_ ended up together. I gave her a disarming grin, the one I knew would put her at ease.

At my question her eyes widened slightly before they were drawn down and away from me, she gave a soft smile; fond gentleness I hadn't seen from her before. Or if I'd seen it I hadn't realized its significance. Looking back I knew that it had probably appeared on her face whenever she'd spoken to me of Rei.

"She caught my eye. Seemed like I did the same." Minako sighed, still seeming like she was caught in the past. It was clear to me that some thing some where in her loved Rei. And I couldn't just tell her that because she'd deny it. She needed to see it for herself... I wasn't above trying to point it out to her though.

"What? Like your eyes met across a crowded room?" I laughed, trying not to let my good humour falter as she laughed with me, her hand touching my arm carefully.

"Don't be ridiculous." She told me with warmth in her tone... even as she rolled her eyes at me. I found my concealed grin growing larger despite the faraway look on her face.

"Ridiculous is what I do best, dearest." I retorted out of habit, the endearment slipped through my lips like it belonged there. As it had in the past.

And then, as Minako let out an incredulous laugh, it was like nothing out of place had happened that night. Her laughter did to me what it always had, it brought light to the dark and warmth to my soul. It was like coming home, righting the universe around it... and I somehow found myself forgetting about the bomb that had been dropped into my life just a few minutes before. I found myself truly smiling at the woman before me, just watching the way she responded to my touch as I brushed hair away from her face.

"You'll get no argument from me. You are indeed a ridiculous man." Minako told me, her hand brushing against my chest as our bodies pressed together, our lips nearing

in proximity.

 **MAMORU**

I cringed as Rei stalked back into the club, clearly not having enjoyed her conversation with my friend. Her jaw and hands were clenched as she resumed her position behind the bar, I waved Usagi off knowing that this particular situation was probably best handled by me.

I loved Usagi dearly but sometimes her relentlessly cheery outlook could be a bit much for some. Rei in particular never seemed to have the patience with her the rest of us had developed.

"So... that looked like it went well." I prodded as she busied herself with work, noticing the shaking of her hands as she began to prep the ingredients for the back log of drinks she needed to make.

"Clearly." She bit out each syllable like she could draw blood from the word. But the anger I could see in her face was melting away, taking refuge behind Rei's professional demeanour; the tired patience and scathing humour she wore as a shield during the day to day grind.

This particular mask was well worn but even I could see something off about its presentation tonight, I'd never seen it combined with this level of emotion before. Rei had always been mysterious but there had always been hints as to her intentions, right now there wasn't much, she just seemed frozen.

Makoto sidled up to the counter beside me, sharing a glance with me as Rei turned her back on us to grab one of the many bottles that lined the shelves above the bar.

"How's it going?" She asked as quietly as the music allowed for.

"Haven't gotten that far yet." I replied in an undertone as Rei turned back around. She rolled her eyes at the two of us, tossing a pair of drink menus down in front of us.

"Back in a moment." Was all she said before she grabbed the tray of drinks and began to thread her way through the crowd that had assembled to celebrate our friends engagement.

"Did you volunteer for the _feelings_ talk or did Usagi volunteer you?" Makoto asked me as she idly thumbed through the menu, I got the distinct impression that she already knew what she was getting but needed something to occupy her hands.

"I volunteered, I thought Rei might strangle Usagi if she tried." I admitted with a bit of a laugh. Makoto chuckled as well, clearly recalling their encounter on the way to the airport. I'd only gotten second hand accounts of it but it seemed Rei was on edge. More than usual at least. "How about you?"

"Ami and Rei already hit their heartfelt discussion quota for the week so it fell to me." She replied with a shrug.

"Yeah?" I questioned, hoping to get any information that could help me reach out to my friend.

"Yeah, Ami yelled at her and then they made up. She left the room while they talked so I didn't ask any further questions, figured they needed their privacy."

"When you say yell..?"

"Stern lecture." Rei's voice replied as the empty tray clattered across the counter between us, Makoto and I both cringed. "At best."

"Hey Rei." Makoto greeted weakly, rubbing a hand at the base of her neck. "How's it going?"

We both winced, knowing it was absolutely the wrong question to ask. Rei just gave a low huffing laugh and redirected the conversation.

"Same as usual, Makoto?" Rei asked, her hand already drifting towards one of bottles under the counter. I got the feeling that when Makoto and Rei got together the drinks weren't exactly from menu I'd been handed. When Makoto shrugged Rei poured a liberal helping of liquor into a glass before turning to me. I fumbled inwardly for what to order but came up short. Rei raised an eyebrow at me before pouring me a glass of one of the beers on tap.

"So..." Makoto started out, sharing a glance with me after having a few sips of her drink. "You and Minako's fiancee?"

"Me and Minako's fiancee, what?" Rei replied, falling into her usual strategy of answering questions with questions.

"Know each other." I put in, hoping she'd actually humour us and give us an answer.

"Yes, Kunzite and I know each other." Rei replied without hesitation. "I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"How _do_ you two know each other?" I found myself asking, wanting to know how on earth this had never come up before. I'd known Kunzite for most of my life and Rei had saved my fiancee's life more times than I could count. I would have thought that if our friends knew each other... we all would have known each other. That we all would have been friends. But we hadn't and now I was confused.

"Does it matter? If you want the story ask him. He's _your_ friend." Rei replied with a pointed tone and a shrug, clearly telling me to ask someone who was actually my friend. Unlike her. I did my best not to flinch back. I knew Rei and I weren't the closest but...

"Geez Rei, tone down the hostility would you? You two _are_ friends, despite the fact you're frequently an ass." Makoto chided, an amused look on her face. "And you do have to admit this is a bit suspicious. Both you and him knowing Kunzite and none of us ever having met the guy before today. We're curious and that's natural. Plus, you either get to deal with Mamoru or Usagi. Take your pick _Sunshine_."

Rei let out a frustrated sigh mixed with a groan before looking between the two of us. With a final roll of her eyes and shake of her head she relented.

"Fine. Just don't bring your girlfriends over here." Rei grumbled, as apologetic as I'd ever heard her. Makoto clinked her glass against mine in victory. Rei ignored that as she messed around with the taps, beginning to pour out another beer. "We've known each other for a long time. Mostly business."

"Some pleasure?" Makoto prompted, the teasing tone and expression not leaving as Rei accidentally let the glass overflow. Rei rolled her eyes again turning away from the two of us, deciding a question like that didn't deserve an answer as she wiped her hands and absently pulled her cell from her pocket. Her gaze narrowed for a split second before smoothing back into her mask, her eyes leaving the phone.

And then the pint glass shattered in Rei's hand, the expression on her face was ice and steel. When I followed her gaze I could see why. Kunzite and Minako's lips were locked together, shutting out the world around them like they were the last two people on the earth. I winced turning away from the sight to look at Rei just as she shoved her hand into her pocket.

"I'll be right back. Need to clean this up." She told us stoically, with barely a glance in our direction. I found myself focusing on the shards of glass in front of me, my gaze narrowing on the crisp streaks of red that glistened on their edges.

"Well, shit." Makoto muttered, raising a hand to her head while reaching out to her glass with the other.

 **REN**

I fumbled for my phone as it buzzed harshly on the coffee table next to my head. I'd barely just settled in after my shift and now someone was interrupting my alone time with the television. I paused the movie as I picked up.

"Hello?"

"I was worried you weren't going to answer." Rei replied, sounding more distracted and distant than I was accustomed too... even taking the recent weeks into account. I sat up fully, knowing that something was wrong. Rei never interrupted my time off without something having gone horribly wrong.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"I... need a favour." She sighed, regret already tinging her voice. "Not a work one, a personal one. Though I guess it's kinda a work one too."

"What is it?" I questioned, getting more and more concerned with how evasive she was being. Normally with work stuff she got straight to the point or just told me to mind my own business. There was another heavy sigh.

"It's _her_ engagement party and I need an out. I cannot be here right now." Came the eventual reply. It took me a few moments to realize what Rei was saying.

"I can be there in half an hour." I told her, swinging my legs down off the couch – already scrambling for my wallet and keys before remembering I'd need to change first.

"I'm sorry Ren, it's your night off and I shouldn't..."Rei started her voice pained and apologetic. In that moment I could picture her in my head, slumped against her desk one hand raking hair out of her face like she wanted to pull at it and scream.

"Shut up Rei. Kade's working the late shift so it's not like I have anything else going on. The double booking was my fault anyway." I replied quickly cutting her off, it was the first time Rei had ever asked me for personal help. And I did not want her to feel guilty about getting help when she needed it, she was far too independent for her own good. It was like she hadn't realized she could rely on other people. "Now I'm hanging up so I hurry over there. We'll talk in a bit."

"Thanks Ren." Rei told me softly.

 **KUNZITE**

I glanced at the door as it opened again, seeing a woman slip inside and head straight for Rei. I found my gaze following her as she approached the bar and stepped behind it, resting a hand on Rei's arm before engaging in conversation. Rei motioned at the glasses on the shelf, causing me a moment of surprise – when had Rei hurt her hand? Mamoru nudged me, jerking me out of my thoughts.

"What are you looking at?" He asked, following my gaze to the bar.

"Thinking about getting another drink." I deflected with a shrug. "Checking to see how busy it was. Didn't want to annoy Hino too much."

Mamoru gave me a look like he didn't believe me, his eyes flicked down to the glass in my hand... which, unfortunately, was full. I kept one eye on Rei as she and the newcomer finished their discussion.

"Not really feeling the whole mixed drink thing right now. I'm already concerned about how I'm going to feel tomorrow, don't need the added sugar on top of everything else." I explained, watching Rei grab a jacket from under the bar and leave the room. Suspicion filled me, I had the feeling she wasn't leaving just because of the situation between Minako and I. Rei cared too much for Minako's happiness for that... well, now that she was here anyway. Missing the party all together was one thing but ditching it was another.

"Well, it doesn't seem like Rei's there to annoy anymore, so have fun with that." Mamoru told me, pushing me towards the bar as he waved over at Nephrite, who began to weave his way through the crowd – grabbing the others on his way by.

Looking around at my friends it was surprising that Rei hadn't murdered me on sight and then gone off in search of the others. Knowing what I did... I realized what she would have seen when we'd walked into the club. An invasion of people who had threatened, attacked, and attempted to assassinate her.

I very nearly flinched when Jadeite's hand clasped my shoulder, logically I knew he was harmless without his memories but the fact I didn't know what could trigger them had me on edge. The Jadeite before me was the man I knew before we'd ever faced The Darkness, he was still a shrewd, tenacious bastard but he lacked the cruelty and bloodlust of his post-confrontation self.

We'd all been changed by our encounter with the Elder God but with him it had been the most noticeable. He had gone from a man I called my friend to someone I no longer trusted... and it was good to have my friend, my brother, returned to me at long last.

"You look lost in thought my friend, and not in the type of thoughts I'd associate with a cheerful gathering." He commented, looking politely exasperated. I managed a wane smile in response.

"Merely musing over the fact this party is tamer than I had expected... and its making me suspicious. Anything you'd like to share with the class?" I asked, allowing myself to tease him gently. I wanted to keep him away from Rei and the potential for triggering his memories for as long as possible.

Jadeite laughed, glancing towards Minako for a second. I put my glass down on the bar top, catching the new bartender's eye before ordering a beer. She gave me a bit of a look but smiled any way. I imagined it was because of the fact she seemed to be close to Rei. I returned my attention to Jadeite just as he replied.

"Well, Nephrite and I did discuss acquiring certain services for the evening." He admitted with a devilish smirk. "Zoisite talked us out of it but if the party is lacking we could..."

"Don't even think about it." Mamoru interceded before I managed to, his tone low and warning. I gave him a grateful look, this was not an idea that needed... _fleshing out_. Jadeite rolled his eyes.

"You two have gotten boring since you've started these long term relationships." He commented, fondness still evident in his tone. Though the exasperation had become more pronounced as well. I took a drink from my beer, knowing that our lives were anything but boring.

"Seconded." Nephrite commented as he joined the conversation, Zoisite a half step behind him and I found myself floundering in his presence once again. . My breath caught in my throat as memories came rushing forward again. I didn't fight these ones, they were too important; reminding me that not everything had been war and conflict in the old world.

"They're not boring, just too preoccupied to deal with your juvenile games." Zoisite contradicted, but I saw the flicker of something else in his eyes. A hint of the man I used to know and whose presence I cherished more than anything.

"I see you managed to escape your workshop for a couple hours." I greeted with a smile, feeling warmth spread through me. "It's good to see you Zoi."

"Haven't heard that in a while. You feeling nostalgic for university or something?" He questioned, a bit of a grin on his face.

"Something like that." I told him, unable to do anything but grin back. Right now, having my memories back was making me giddy – not sick like they had earlier.

"You two gonna hug it out or what?" Jadeite asked, sounding bored but I could see the twinkle in his eyes. It had been too long since we'd all gotten together, I'd been away from home for too long.

"It's good to be home." I replied opening my arms for a hug after putting my glass down. Zoisite rolled his eyes but stepped forward anyway.

"I see you're still as ridiculous as ever." He muttered as he returned the hug then stepped back. "Nice to see things haven't change with how long you've gone."

"We are who we are, Zoi, don't think any power in the world can change that." I reassured him, keeping my hand on his shoulder for longer than I meant to. I let my hand drop upon realizing what I was doing and in that instant I recognized the lie in my words. I was interacting with him like he was _Zoisite_ and he simply wasn't.

Not yet.

 **REI**

I stepped out of Gaslight with a sigh of relief, extremely happy to have an excuse to leave that hellscape; though I supposed what I was leaving for wasn't exactly an improvement. Dealing with a traumatized soul wasn't exactly the start of a good night.

I shook those thoughts from my head I as looked at my phone to check the arrival's location. Waiting for Ren to arrive had delayed me longer than I'd have liked and I needed to hurry if I were to prevent an incident, the app was great for finding where they'd appear but didn't have the ability to track them down after that. That was all on me.

I confirmed the location and went to go get my vehicle, hopefully I wouldn't get a speeding ticket en-route.

Luckily the encounter had been easier than the last few, Beryl's instruction on how to calm them had helped keep things mostly non-violent and the shadow had let itself melt back into the darkness without causing any property damage either. Which I counted as a win.

I rubbed my neck, feeling completely exhausted. Perhaps it was time to follow Ren's parting advice. She'd suggested I go home and relax, and it actually sounded like a good idea.

I was just getting into my car when the phone rang, I turned on the car and pressed a button to answer the call.

"What's this about?" I practically demanded.

"Your phone manners need work." Beryl's voice pointed out through the stereo system. Her tone sounded almost fond. "How'd it go?"

"Fine. No injuries or property damage." I replied, annoyed all of a sudden. Probably because I was over tired and had a shitty night. I fought the urge to scratch at the healing cuts on my hand and instead shifted out of park. I pulled my car out of its parking space and made a turn down one of the side roads.

"Well, I apologize for being concerned." Beryl told me, her tone not losing its edge... though now she sounded a tad worried as well. I clenched my jaw, not really wanting to talk about it but she deserved to know. I sighed, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel to try and distract myself from the emotions I was feeling.

"I found Kunzite, apparently seeing me sparked something. He remembers." I explained. Beryl went dead silent and after a couple minutes of silence I prompted her. "You still there?"

"Yes, sorry you just caught me by surprise." She told me.

"Caught me by surprise too." I replied, apparently my bitterness leaked into my tone.

"What happened?"

"Check the entertainment section of the news. You'll find it." I told her, not wanting to voice it aloud. Instead of mulling the subject over while she looked it up, I concentrated on the taillights of the car in front of me – traffic was slowing down as we approached the core again.

After a few seconds a soft 'oh' echoed through speakers.

"Yeah. Like things couldn't get anymore complicated." I remarked, some how feeling easier about talking about Minako's situation with Beryl than anyone else. Maybe it was because she was a bit more removed from the situation than the rest of my friends. I didn't feel like getting any further into the matter though. I flicked on my turn signal and eased into the next lane over. My street was coming up. "Speaking of complicated, this is the second time in recent weeks that two shadows have appeared on the same day. Any ideas why they're increasing in frequency?"

"I... I have no idea. Do you think this is enough to be concerned?" She questioned.

"I can handle it." I replied, only realizing once the words were out of my mouth that they sounded defensive.

"I wasn't question that. I was asking if you thought it was something to worry about or if it's just random circumstance." Her voice was calm and a bit patronizing. I had the feeling my caginess was beginning to annoy her.

"I don't know yet but I'm working on figuring it out. I just wanted to know if you knew something I didn't." I told her irritably as some asshole pulled in front of me without signalling.

"If I'd known about something that could help you, I would have told you when we met up. I know you don't trust me but I am being honest with you." Beryl told me in a stern tone like I was a child who was acting out. I felt my temper beginning to rise before I realized that it wasn't her fault I was on edge tonight.

"Sorry. Long night. I should get going." I replied after smothering my anger and hostility.

"Good night Rei. Get some rest." Beryl told me, her voice back to normal again. I hung up just as I pulled into the parking garage. This night felt far longer than it should have. It was still hours earlier than the time I usually went to bed but I was drained. Ready to fall into bed the moment I got home.

 **KUNZITE**

I rolled out of bed early, ignoring the headache pounding away at my temples. My attention was drawn back to the bed where Minako lay tangled in the sheets, I frowned slightly. Some part of me still felt for her, but it wasn't what I had felt for her before. Or maybe it was and the sensation simply paled in comparison to what emotions had surfaced last night.

"Fuck." I groaned softly, rubbing at my eyes with the heel of my hands. "It is too early for this."

"Then get back in bed." Came the muffled reply from the bed, apparently Minako was awake. Not that you could tell by looking at the mess of pillows and blankets she had buried herself under. Part of me absently wondered if she'd need as many if Rei was the one sleeping next to her. I let out a bit of a laugh as I found myself smiling fondly at her from where I stood next to the dresser.

"Go back to sleep Minako." I told her softly, grabbing a t-shirt and pulling it over my head. "If I come back to bed now I won't feel at all compelled to leave, sleeping off this hangover is far too tempting."

Minako made a sleepy sounding noise in response, I felt that fondness and love swell up in my heart again. I crossed back to the bed, leaning over and brushing a quick kiss to the top of her head.

"I'll see you later." I told her, not expecting a reply. We'd been out late and I'd be surprised if either of us had gotten six hours of sleep. But now that I was awake I needed to be doing something. I needed to get out of here and process what was going on. I needed a plan.

When I got back from my run Minako was in the kitchen making breakfast. I gave her a wave and a smile before disappearing into the bathroom to shower.

As I stepped under the spray I grumbled a bit to myself. I'd thought that having time to think things over would make this whole situation easier but I'd been wrong. As seemed to be the pattern with me.

On my run I'd convinced myself that I didn't love Minako and it had held up until I'd stepped through the door and saw her again. I loved her and I didn't understand how I could be so torn over this. Part of me knew what we had was wonderful and perfect... _and easy_. and easy. Then there was the other part that had burst to life inside me the moment I laid eyes on Zoisite.

A lifetime worth of love had flooded out of my memories and into my being. And I wasn't sure what to do with that. As much as I had seen my old friends in the men they were today, Zoisite wasn't Zoisite... and he certainly wasn't _Zoi._

I let the water cascade over my face, doing my best not to let out a primal scream and wondered if this was how Rei felt on a day to day basis. And it was then that I realized I probably couldn't figure anything out by myself, I needed to talk it over with someone. I needed to talk to Rei.

I stepped out of the shower, pulling on the fresh clothes that Minako had left on the counter for me. My heart clenched again at this, falling in love with her hadn't been a fast process. It had taken shape slowly, formed out of little moments like this. The little things she'd do to show she cared. I slung the towel over my shoulders, letting it catch the water from my still wet hair rather than my t-shirt.

When I stepped into the kitchen again Minako was only just putting the food onto plates.

"Need a hand with anything?" I offered, sliding in behind her and watching as she turned slightly, the smile on her face was soft and gentle. Her hand cupped my cheek, guiding me closer to her. Her lips pressed a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth and then she pushed me away with a laugh and a simple 'good morning'.

I returned the smile as I remembered that ever since we'd been cohabiting we'd shared a good morning kiss. It was so ingrained that this morning I'd kissed her without even thinking about it.

With the two sets of memories, even as different as the two realities were, I was having a hard time keeping them straight and separate in my head. And that was a bit worrying, it as almost as if being in Minako's presence was enough to make me forget the past... or at least ignore it. I pushed the thought from my head, refusing to focus on that until I had a chance to talk to Rei.

Minako still hadn't spoken aside from the brief greeting, she was too concentrated on the task at hand. When she had the two plates of food in hand and was unable to retaliate I reached over and ruffled her hair, laughing at the look she gave me.

"You didn't answer my question. Need any help?"

"Get the coffee, _idiot_. You're the only one who can reach the mugs, remember?" She replied, setting the plates on the table in the breakfast nook. I gave her a bit of sheepish look but ended up breaking it when I laughed.

"It _has_ been a long time since we've been back." I commented as I picked up the coffee pot while reaching into a cupboard for the mugs, the action automatic. My hands knew what they were doing even if I didn't. It was the same for Minako's coffee, I added a lump of sugar and a splash of milk before bringing both the mugs to the table.

Minako looked up and gave me another fond look before returning to the notebook in front of her, I glanced to my left – the newspaper lay there as it always did.

Early on in the relationship I'd been teased mercilessly about my refusal to read the news online. Now it was just habit for us to sit at opposite ends of the table so I had room to open it up and get my daily dose of the outside world. Rather, it was habit when we actually had time for a slow morning. Usually it was a mad dash out of whatever hotel we happened to be in that night.

I absently took a bite of my food as I began to read. On the second page a photo leapt out at me, jerking my focus on to the accompanying story. Normally I didn't read the political stories with much interest but this one had the added benefit of having Rei and Beryl in it.

I studied the photo closely, Beryl's calm demeanour was achingly familiar but it wasn't that that caught my attention. What really drew me in was Rei's poker face. I lifted my mug to my mouth, taking a careful sip as began to read the article. Most of it was just regurgitating voter polls and election forecasts, doing what they could to build up hype around the coming election, and without even getting into anything important came the little note telling me to turn to some random page to continue reading.

I flipped through the paper impatiently, I'd been reading to figure out more about Beryl and Rei... not read information I was already aware of. When I found the right page I dove right in, doing my best to glean what I could about their interaction from the newspaper quotes. It seemed like Rei had given an interview, which according to this reporter was a rather rare event and thus was probably a publicity stunt on AED Corp's behalf. My mind recalled the image of Rei and Beryl standing together, Rei's carefully crafted mask nagged at my mind. She'd talked of putting on a show the night before but I hadn't really put together how good she was at it.

"Reading about politics now?" Minako's voice teased as she reached over to rescue the last slice of toast from my otherwise empty plate. "Who are you and what did you do with my fiance?"

I was startled into a laugh.

"He's tied up in the basement, I just hadn't found time to gift wrap him." I remarked, folding the paper back up and tossing it on to the counter before clearing the dishes from the table.

"As tempting as having two of you around is..." Minako drawled, the teasing tone in her voice reaching almost unholy levels after swallowing her mouthful. This time my laugh came out as more of a snort.

"I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't be able to keep up with you." I told her. Her laughter joined mine as I loaded the dishwasher, my mind still focused on the newspaper. I needed to talk to Rei and Beryl.

"Well, I'm going to have a shower. Don't get into any trouble while I'm gone." Minako told me, passing her coffee cup to me over the counter top before disappearing down the hall. I waited until I heard the shower running before I crossed the room to where Minako's phone was charging.

I picked it up, unlocking the device and scrolling though her contact list. When I found the information I wanted I sent it to myself then deleted the record of the text. I put the cell back exactly the way I found it before pouring myself the rest of the coffee.

After a quick and somewhat confounding conversation with Rei on my own phone, I sent a quick text and did my best to sit innocently at the counter while sipping at the coffee.

Hopefully, Minako wouldn't notice anything suspicious. About the phone at least, I _wanted_ her to notice the coffee. It would get her riled up and distract her from anything she might pick up on in my emotions, well, it was that and the fact I was genuinely looking forward to annoying Minako. We'd been teasing each other since the day we met and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Minako's return from the bathroom unfolded the way I'd wanted and after a brief conversation I was making up some excuses about needing to go downtown. And a short time later I found myself in the foyer of the Senator's offices. I brushed snow from my jacket as I took stock of the room.

"Excuse me, do you have an appointment?" The woman at the front desk asked me, picking up on the fact I was out of place here. Apparently I stood out more than I had intended, dressed casually as I was.

"No, but I'm an old friend, just thought I'd swing by to say hello since I was in the neighbourhood." I said, giving her my most charming smile. She looked skeptical but gave a sigh as she picked up the phone.

"Sorry to disturb you Madame Senator, but there's a man here to see you. Says he's an old friend, should I get security to deal with him?"

There was a short pause before the assistant looked back to me.

"Name?" She asked curtly with a glance in my direction. I could hear the two bodyguards I'd passed earlier shifting position, no doubt preparing to eject me from the premises if the lady didn't like what she heard.

"Kunzite." I told her with a smile I knew was charming. She frowned in response, lifting a brow smoothly. Obviously waiting for a last name. I chuckled. "She'll know who I am."

"He says his name is Kunzite, thinks that's all you'll need." She relayed, then there was silence as she listened to the reply. "Alright, I'll bring him in ma'am."

The woman rose from her seat and gestured for me to follow her. I ghosted her footsteps as she led me down the hall to a set of solid oak doors.

 **LUNA**

Anxiety still simmered within my chest as I sorted through the articles on Rei and Beryl's meeting yesterday. I'd finally put all the fragmented quotes from various reporters and outlets together to form a coherent enough picture of what had gone on.

Based on past events I had always known Rei would be most difficult to keep tabs on. She'd always been combative and deceitful... well, perhaps deceit wasn't the right word. Deceptive was probably more accurate though the basis of what bothered me remained the same.

She was capable of lying to all of our faces and hiding almost everything about herself from everyone. Including the Venusians. Artemis had told me of Eros' interpretations and fears... and I couldn't ignore that. Rei was dangerous, in the old world I'd just assumed it was only her prowess in battle that made her formidable but now I knew the whole story. She could slip past all of our defences almost effortlessly. And I couldn't ignore that.

Especially not now that every scrap of information I collected placed Rei at Beryl's side, supporting her and her efforts. Particularly alarming was the phrase Rei had used in her introduction of the Senator. To some it would seem like a rather optimistic and hopeful expression but to me it seemed much more sinister. Only Rei could turn the word 'bright' into something so ominous.

Without her memories Rei wouldn't realize how wrong she was, Beryl could never lead this, or any other world, to a future that could be described as bright. Nothing she was involved in could result in anything but death and destruction. And if Rei was unable to recognize how horrific siding with Beryl was and was able to deceive us so completely as she had last time... we would be unable to stop her from stabbing us in the back.

Hopefully I could get them up to speed without arousing suspicion – from either her or Artemis.

I was starting to think his judgment was a bit clouded by his friendship Rei. They weren't as close as he and Minako but he still felt rather protective over her. And I couldn't let his bias distract from the fact Rei was posing a threat to our aims.

However, I also didn't want to alienate Rei despite the fact I didn't trust her with sole access to the information as I had before. Her friends still needed to trust her even if I did not, so I'd keep them in the dark about my suspicions of Rei's defection. They would, unknowingly, keep an eye on her for me.

I reached for my phone, the plan I had been contemplating since the previous day set firmly in my mind. I hadn't brought it to the others attention immediately, trying to allow Minako and her fiancee their night of happiness but now that they'd had their celebration it was time to bring them in. I pressed on the first of the names and lifted the phone to my ear, getting ready to organize a meeting.

"Hey Luna, what's up? Everything okay?" Minako asked, sounding a bit under the weather but not nearly as bad as I was expecting if the late night texts Artemis had received were any indicator. Though I was one to speak, I'd gotten a drunk dial from Usagi around three thirty in the morning.

"Everything's fine." I replied automatically, then gave a bit of a sigh at the absurdity of the statement. Everything was decidedly not fine. "I thought I'd phone and congratulate you on your engagement, I'm sorry that Artemis wasn't able to make it. He was looking forward to meeting your fiancee."

Minako gave a chuckle.

"Honestly I think he would have gotten a bit annoyed by having to babysit us all. I know you two still feel obliged to coddle us... usually more than is strictly necessary." She told me. "But I get the feeling that's not all you wanted to talk about."

"Before Artemis found out you were engaged he was going request that you come back." I admitted, knowing that she wouldn't need more than that to figure it out. Artemis would never ask her to abandon her dream unless...

"They're back." Minako gave a heavy sigh. "Of course they are. Things just can't be easy, can they?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to have to tell you so soon but..." I said, leaving out why I was the one to call her and not Artemis.

"It can't wait." Minako finished for me, her tone all business. "What's been going on?"

"I was actually hoping to debrief you all in person." I explained, knowing that I needed to get everyone involved in this. The more people inadvertently keeping an eye on Rei, the less of a chance Beryl would have at influencing our team. "Later today would be preferable, I'm sure all of us have plans on Sunday."

"Yeah, Christmas kinda does that." Minako remarked, her dry tone starkly reminding me of Rei. "But that works. My place is free if the others don't feel like driving all the way out to yours. Does four o'clock work for you?"

"Won't your fiance be around?"

"Apparently he had some things to do downtown. Probably last minute shopping for gifts, he's _terrible_." Minako explained, her voice so full of warmth and distraction I had to clear my throat get her attention back. "So yeah, my place is definitely free."

"That sounds wonderful." I agreed, slightly relieved by her offer. It would make it so much easier to keep away from Artemis. "I'll see you later."

"Great. See you at four." Minako said before hanging up. I nodded to myself in satisfaction before scrolling through my contacts to the next number I needed to phone.

 **REI**

I rubbed a hand tiredly across my eyes, I'd been exhausted the night before but had found myself unable to sleep... which brought me to now. I was frustrated and annoyed by the laptop in front of me.

I grumbled to myself, getting up from my office chair and walking into the kitchen to get more tea. Normally I would be drinking coffee at this time of day, having just gotten out of bed but today had no other commitments.

Apparently Ren had sent out an email to the rest of the staff ordering them to call me only in an emergency and only when they were unable to reach her first. So, with no other responsibilities aside from potential appearances I was free to spend the day as I wished. And my only desire for the day was to sleep.

Predictably that was the one thing I seemed unable to do, thus I had turned to the project I'd been working on intermittently for the last five years.

When my tea was refilled I returned to my office and sat back down in front of my computer and began to input more data. I'd been collecting all the information I could about the shadows' appearances and was trying to see if there was any discernible pattern.

Artemis had explained his app to me when I'd first committed myself to staying in the city and from what I could gather it didn't predict the appearances so much as report when the first signs of a shadow phasing into existence began to show. We got some warning but we still didn't have any way to plan in advance for these appearances.

I wasn't content with the idea of relying on what amounted to passive atmospheric scans. I couldn't let the lives of people rely on a system that could be taken down by faulty equipment or time delays due to traffic and other barriers that were frequently put in my way. I didn't want to rely on luck and guess work, I wanted to know where the shadows would appear in advance so I could plan around it; scout the area, devise a strategy, and most importantly make sure no one else was injured.

In an ideal world this data would allow us to predict when and where these shadows would appear. Hopefully from there we'd be able to figure out what made these places ideal for the event and find a way to root the appearances to one location. I didn't understand the science behind what went on, what made them physically able to interact with the world again rather than simply remain intangible spirits. I had the ideas on how to solve the problem but none of the necessary intelligence or know how to implement them.

I didn't understand much beyond what I'd learned in the old world and most of that was fragmented or resulted from an intuitive leap on my part or Ami's. In short, everything I was able to do on my own was speculation at best and I couldn't change any of that because the people I would normally talk this over with didn't have their memories.

Also, I couldn't just bring all of this to Artemis without revealing that I had my full memories and I already knew how that would turn out. They'd no longer trust me, they'd ask why I hadn't come to them about it in the first place. And I had no good answer for them except for the fact I was scared they had a way to take the memories entirely. And I couldn't risk them removing Minako from my life.

I took a sip of tea before pushing my chair over towards the filing cabinet and grabbing a couple of files and wheeling back to the desk. Once there I began to open them up and remove various newspaper clippings, maps, atmospheric data... anything that could be relevant to the shadows influence. Recently I'd been scrambling to collect all the information, the rise in encounters had made it difficult to do the proper research and fact finding. Even transferring the electronic data from my phone was hard to squeeze in with any regularity.

I rubbed at my eyes again as the text on my computer screen blurred again, I hated these goddamned things sometimes. They were excellent for databases and efficiency but it difficult for me to stare at the screen for any length of time... or retain what I had read off it. Part of me missed the old war table maps and information systems. I stifled a yawn as an idea began to flicker to life in the back of my brain.

I pulled out a large map of the city from my desk and walked across the room to the far wall, taping it in place. From one of the other drawers I pulled out a tin of pins and a pad of note paper. After printing out the basic time/place list of encounters I started creating a visual guide to help me process everything that had happened. Certain events got different coloured pins with red being the last colour assigned. I chose it to represent the paired encounters the days where I had to deal with more than one appearance. I turned back to the desk and grabbed one of the red markers I had laying around, drawing a line to connect those events. Then I sat back in my chair and stared at the map, trying to make sense of it.

I awoke slumped in my office chair to the ringing of my phone. I spun the chair around to face the desk again and answered Michiru's call.

"Hey?" I greeted, the salutation trailing off into a question as I yawned.

"Are you alright?" Michiru asked in response, already concerned.

"I'm fine, just woke up."

"Have you not been sleeping again?"

"No more so than usual. Or less depending on how you want to look at it." I remarked, I could almost hear Michiru shake her head in exasperation at my reply. "What were you calling about?"

"I was calling to remind you that you're coming over for Christmas tomorrow." She told me. "Just in case you forgot."

"Right." Was all I managed to get out, completely unable to comprehend how I had forgotten about that. Michiru started to laugh.

"Hang on a sec Rei." She told me before speaking to someone else on her end of the line. "I was right, she forgot."

"Goddamnit Rei. You are the worst. The absolute worst." Haruka swore, though I could hear the amusement and laughter.

"Do I even want to know what the stakes of this bet were?" I asked, doing my best not to yawn again. The occasional wages about my behaviour were a bit of a running joke between the three of us. Setsuna had a running tally of the wins and losses for the two of them and kept me informed. With Haruka's loss today, Michiru was up by four.

"Probably not." Haruka admitted, sounding vaguely guilty. I rolled my eyes.

"Alright so now that you two have had your fun at my expense..." I muttered.

"We should let you go back to sleep." Michiru cut across me, with Haruka bidding me a hasty goodbye. I could hear the door shut on their end. "And in an actual bed this time Rei."

"That wasn't what I was going to say. I was going to ask if you wanted me to bring anything tomorrow."

"Just show up, that's all I need." Michiru reassured me and a sensation of guilt twisted in my stomach over the honesty in her words. We hadn't been seeing each other as often lately and it was pretty much all my fault.

"I'll be there." I promised.

"Alright then. Go to bed." Michiru told me before hanging up. I rose from the office chair stiffly and practically staggered into my bedroom. When my phone rang again, I had absolutely no patience for it.

"What?!" I snarled into the phone, I hadn't recognized the number and gave absolutely zero fucks at this moment in time.

"Rei?" Kunzite asked tentatively. "You okay?"

"What do you want?" I replied tersely, ignoring his question.

"I wanted meet up and talk some things over with you." He proposed, his voice still hesitant.

"Later." I gritted out, shutting my bedroom door behind me and closing the curtains. The room fell into blessed darkness.

"Uh. Okay, how about I meet you downtown for drinks tonight?" He suggested, sounding a bit confused.

"The after Christmas type of later." I corrected shortly, pinching the bridge of my nose in an attempt to avoid swearing at him.

"I was really hoping to do this..."

"Did I give you the impression that I care what you want? If so, I sincerely apologize." I snarled. When there was only stunned silence on the other end of the line I rolled my eyes.

"Text me a time and place _after_ Christmas we can talk then." I practically ordered before hanging up and tossing my phone onto the night table. This time when I collapsed into bed I was instantly dragged into sleep.

 **KUNZITE**

I stepped by Beryl's assistant in the doorway, getting the distinct feel that I was truly setting foot in Beryl's domain yet again. She was standing next to her desk, framed in front of the windows – the soft winter light shining behind her. It made for quite the visual, drawing attention to her presence more than anything else in the room.

I gave a smile.

"Are you this intimidating for everyone or am I just special?" I asked, starting to approach her as the assistant shut the door behind me. Beryl didn't wait for me to reach her, instead crossing the room to meet me.

I could see the emotion on her face as she closed the distance between us. Automatically I spread my arms to embrace her, this had never been a part of our dynamic before but it seemed like something we both needed. A notion that was only confirmed when she stepped into my arms and wrapped her own around me.

"I've missed you." She told me as I let my arms rest around her, I could hear the loneliness in her voice more clearly than I'd ever heard it before.

"How long?" I found myself asking, not really knowing what else to say. The question wasn't really about me... but rather _everything_.

"As long as I can remember." She told me.

"You don't remember anything else?" I questioned, suddenly realizing she might not understand the conflict I felt inside. Or appreciate it.

"I remember being trapped in a child's body." Beryl admitted, stepping back recognizing the space these differences were creating. I swore softly to myself. She brushed it aside, returning to her seat and gesturing to the one across from her. "But you aren't here to talk about the past. What do you want to know?"

Her expression was carefully constructed, very much resembling the political mask she used to wear when dealing with the interplanetary representatives. And it was in that moment of recognition and familiarity that I found the questions pouring out of me... and not necessarily in a coherent fashion.

All the thoughts I'd had over the last day spewed out of me. What were we going to do about the others? Wake them? Leave them be? We're we mobilizing again? I knew we would need to find The Source if we were to have any chance at all but I didn't know even the basics of how to go about it.

"We will make this work, Kunzite." She told me, not showing any sign of doubt or hesitation.

"What about Rei?" I questioned, my mouth moving against my will yet again. I tried to wrangle my composure into something half way presentable. Mostly I just felt tired. And incredibly old.

"We'll do it with or without her help." Beryl assured me, her expression not betraying anything. I knew there was something going on beneath the surface though, she might have a perfect mask in this world but I knew her past. I knew Rei was important to her. Just like I was important to her or how Mamoru was. I let that issue rest for the moment, even if she didn't say it I knew she wouldn't do anything to compromise Rei. Rei would be left as autonomous as she always was... because freedom was a tricky thing. Rei could be manipulated without interfering in her life at all.

I swallowed roughly.

"What about the others?" And then I hesitated before asking the question that nagged at me the most. "What about _Minako_?"

Beryl's expression fractured slightly at this, her jaw clenching and gaze darkening.

"Your fiancee?" She asked, her tone nearing what would be called scathing. "I've been assured that _they_ have no distinct memories of who, or what, they opposed. We've no reason to fight with them. Or her."

My gaze narrowed on hers.

"That doesn't answer my question. If you want me to support this I need to know that she won't be hurt. That none of them will be hurt."

"You know I can't promise that." Beryl admitted and I knew that I would follow her again, whole-heartedly and without remorse. She hadn't lied to me; a person with less conviction and resolve would have promised me anything I wanted without hesitation, merely to secure my alliance. Beryl gave me what she could. When she could. And then she continued to speak, her voice soft... nearly righteous. A promise. "Never if we can help it."

Then she simply let the words hang between us. Eventually I nodded, showing her I accepted and trusted what she was saying.

"If they get in our way..." There was a sigh that seemed to come from both of us in unison. "We can't let this world end the same way it did last time.

I buried my face in my hands, feeling a crushing sense of responsibility and pressure settle on my shoulders. My chest felt hot and tight and there wasn't enough air in the room to fill my lungs. I felt Beryl's hand settle over mine.

Then the memories of Zoisite resurfaced in a soothing swirl of shared smiles and gentle reassurance, my entire body relaxed. I took a deep breath.

"Okay, let's do this."

 **AMI**

Minako greeted us warmly as we stepped into her home, taking our coats before leading us into the living room. Luna and Usagi were seated together on one of the couches, clearly catching up on what had transpired in the week they'd gone without seeing each other. Usagi was gesturing enthusiastically, Luna simply smiled and nodded.

Makoto's hand settled on my back, clearly implying we should sit. I nodded, moving into the room and seating myself on the sofa opposite Luna and Usagi. Minako settled into the armchair near the fire.

"Well, now that you're all here... we should begin." Luna said a moment after we'd settled in. I looked over at her sharply.

"Rei's not coming?" I asked, trying to keep the suspicion out of my voice. Luna gave me an easy smile, not seeming at all put off by my question. My suspicion died down a little bit.

"She told me she was busy, I'm meeting with her later." She replied, before returning to what she was going to say. "I'm sure you've all guessed what I called you together to discuss..."

"They're back." Makoto murmured when no one else spoke up. "Or they're coming back. Either way something's changed."

"Yes." Luna replied shortly. "We've been noticing the signs for a while now. But nothing definitive until recently."

My eyes narrowed, why hadn't she just explained about Rei's involvement now? Why not just tell everyone about what Rei had been doing?

"Signs? What kind of signs?" Minako asked, pulling her legs up onto the seat beneath her. Luna gave a heavy sigh, reaching down to the bag by her feet and pulling up out a couple of newspaper clippings. She passed them over to Usagi, who read the titles... her face went pale.

"Three deaths in the park, another incident with two in critical condition, the last article talks about another death... all are described as mysterious circumstances – remaining unsolved." Usagi relayed to us, her voice shaking slightly. She looked up at Luna, her face with a lost expression on it. "This one was from four years ago."

"How do we know these were the... shadows?" Makoto asked, getting up from her seat, leaning over Usagi's shoulder to read the articles for herself. I watched Luna carefully, her face betraying nothing but sorrow.

"We don't, not for certain but they bear all the hallmarks of the attacks you've dealt with in the past. No one can find a... plausible explanation for them. Not one that the public believed anyway." She sighed, regret obvious in her expression. "Artemis did some digging into the official police statements, they all mention... things that the witnesses couldn't explain – could hardly fathom."

"And you waited this long to call us in?" I asked, not having any desire to read the articles or see the pictures that I imagined accompanied them.

"Artemis was developing a system to track them... or their appearances anyway." Luna explained. I nodded, suddenly understanding how Rei managed to protect the entire city without assistance. "He started looking into the deaths and managed to cobble something together. We can track them now. That's why we called you together."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked softly from where she was curled up.

"Artemis developed a tracking program that can be installed on to your cellphones, I'm here to give it to you." Luna told her. Makoto chuckled from her position behind Usagi.

"So you're saying there's an app for that?" She asked, coaxing a similar laugh from Usagi and Minako. Luna looked unimpressed.

"Yes." She replied, almost bitterly then her face smoothed again. "We will need all of you in the coming months, I'm sorry to have to ask this of you again but we need you to stand and fight."

I looked around the room, seeing the resigned acceptance on the faces of my friends. They all knew we were being asked to give up our current jobs, our lives and livelihood for battle once again. I sighed, knowing what lay ahead... just as well as the others did.

"Let's get started then." Minako stated, knowing she spoke for all of us.

 **R** **EI**

Walking into Michiru's on Christmas morning felt surprisingly like coming home, Haruka had greeted me at the door; immediately wrestling me into a truly horrendous sweater before shoving me into the kitchen. Michiru was pouring the coffee while Setsuna had settled in at the table, I smiled watching as Michiru turned around and saw me.

"Rei." She greeted, a smile spreading across her face. She set the coffee pot down, crossing the kitchen towards me, wrapping me in a hug. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Michiru." I replied, letting myself savour the contact. Eventually we broke apart, her hand coming up to cup my cheek.

"It's been too long." She told me.

"It sure has." Haruka agreed, her hand settling on my shoulder. "How about you two go get settled in the living room – catch up a bit? I'll go see if the kid is out of bed yet. She's been looking forward to this."

Michiru reached down, taking my hand in hers as she guided me into the living room. I paused for a second upon coming into the room.

"It's kind of overkill, don't you think?" I asked, looking around the room at the explosion of decorations.

"Says the woman who doesn't have a single decoration in her apartment." Setsuna commented, smiling at me as she passed me a coffee. "We had to make up for your lack of holiday spirit somehow."

"Clearly." I muttered to myself, sitting down at one end of the massive couch. Setsuna settled in on the other end while Michiru curled up on the love seat.

"So how have you been Rei?" Michiru asked gently. I looked over at her, giving a tired smile along with a half shrug.

"Coping – sorting things out as best I can." I replied simply. Michiru nodded looking like she wanted to poke and prod until I elaborated. Bits of our last conversation filtered down through my memories. My smile became slightly strained.

"Doing better than the last time we spoke." I clarified, knowing how worried my near breakdown would have made her. I'd been aiming for a reassuring tone and hit the mark... more or less.

Michiru's eyes skirted over to Setsuna, the question sitting heavy in them.

"Rei's not lying. Most of the issues you two discussed have been resolved. That isn't to say that they weren't replaced by new problems and concerns however." Setsuna asserted, that tone of _knowing_ in her voice. I schooled my expression into neutrality, remembering that Setsuna would have been meeting with Beryl as well.

"I thought we agreed on no work talk." Haruka commented as she strode into the room. Hotaru followed her in, stifling a yawn. However she perked up when she saw me. I hastily got to my feet, knowing what was coming.

"You didn't tell me Rei was here already." Hotaru complained in Haruka's direction before launching herself in mine for a hug. I caught her up in my arms, still a tad concerned about how small and frail she felt.

"Good morning to you too." I greeted.

"You really ought to be more careful with Rei there kiddo. She's getting on in years." Haruka chided with laughter in her voice, her eyes meeting mine over the top of Hotaru's head. I rolled my eyes, giving her the middle finger as stealthily as I could. Haruka grinned at me as she reached over and ruffled Hotaru's hair. "And those bony elbows of yours are military grade weapons, remember?"

Hotaru shuffled out of the hug almost shyly as if remembering she wasn't a child anymore but a _teenager_. And thus, was above such juvenile displays of affection. Despite that Hotaru settled down on the couch between Setsuna and I. I took the first opportunity to nudge her in the side with my arm.

"It's been awhile." I pointed out conversationally, trying to conceal the concern in my voice with something more lighthearted. I knew that Hotaru remembered as much of her old life as the rest of us... but due to her unusual circumstances... she was basically a normal kid. Aside from the fact she housed the power to reboot a universe. And she had to live with the knowledge that she'd done exactly that. "How are things going?"

Hotaru gave a bit of a shy shrug but she began to share stories about school, her favourite classes, and her friends. I leaned back in my seat I as the family settled into their Christmas morning rituals... content to just watch and listen.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner?" Michiru asked as she handed me my jacket and we stepped outside as I pulled it on.

"Yeah, Makoto and Ami asked me to join them months ago. Can't disappoint them, huh?" I replied with the most sincere smile I'd worn in a long time. The day had done wonders for my outlook, the world felt lighter.

Just as Michiru started to say something in response my cell began to ring, the abruptness of the noise nearly making me jump. I took a calming breath, well aware that something inside of me viewed this disruption as something ominous. Michiru brushed a hand against my arm, recognizing the fact I was suddenly on edge as I pulled the phone from my pocket.

I let out a growl of annoyance at seeing Silas' phone number, it was Christmas for fuck's sake and my father still couldn't call me himself. Michiru gave me a questioning look and I showed her the screen. Her face creased slightly when she gave a look between sadness and sympathy, she knew all about my rocky relationship with my father. I gave another short grumble before swiping my finger across the phone to answer.

"Silas." I greeted in a clipped tone. I could give them five minutes, it was Christmas after all.

There was a moment of frenzied speech where I could only pick out a few words. I felt a chill rise up my spine that had nothing to do with the freezing temperatures out here.

"Wait, what?" I asked. Michiru seemed to pick up on my tone because she leaned against the door frame, looking concerned.. "Silas, slow down."

"It's your father, he's taken a turn for the worse. You should probably come say your goodbyes." Silas told me, talking more steadily after my reprimand. I clenched my jaw, honestly finding this hard to comprehend.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon." I replied almost numbly as I hung up. I wasn't really sure how I was feeling right now, it felt like I'd just had the wind knocked out of me. I looked over to Michiru, trying to figure out what to say.

"Uh." I paused, clearing my throat before trying again. "Michiru, would you mind calling Ami and Makoto and letting them know that I won't be able to make it to dinner?"

Michiru reached out, her hand settling on my back as we lingered in the doorway. Right now I felt more emotion over what Silas was going through. It was Christmas and he was away from his family looking after my father. Guilt crept up in the pit of my stomach. I couldn't tell if I was feeling this way because I was trying to distance myself from the pain or if I honestly didn't care about what was going on. Either way I was a complete jackass.

"What's going on Rei?" Michiru asked, clearly worried now.

"Family troubles. I need to go see my father." I told her emotionlessly, not sure how else I was supposed to bring this up. Michiru gave a sigh which told me she understood the undercurrent that ran through my reply. Probably better than I did.

"I'll call and let them know that something came up. You get going and drive safe, Rei." Michiru said before kissing my cheek and stepping back inside.

"Michiru." I called softly, finding it in me to bring up an honest smile. "Thanks for inviting me today."

She gave me another smile, this time it seemed sad.

"You're welcome Rei, we loved having you here."

"Yeah. Merry Christmas." I said out of reflex my tone coming out bitter and sarcastic, both Michiru and I gave a bit of a cringe at this. I let out a dry chuckle, meeting her eyes again as I started to head to my car. "Seriously though. Have a good evening, don't let my shit spoil your family time. It was a good day, one of the best I've had in a long time, don't let this spoil that memory for me; I don't want to know that I'm responsible for ruining what's left of your day."

"Call me if you need to, Rei." Michiru called after me as I turned my back to the house finally and walked down the snow covered drive to my car. I gave her a wave over my shoulder in acknowledgement before reaching down and unlocking the door.

I was consumed by my thoughts as I climbed into the vehicle, throwing the car into drive as the dispassionate, unfeeling, cold swept further through me. Family. I honestly felt that I was leaving my true family behind to go see my father. I gritted my teeth together again, feeling the disgust with myself rise again.

 **AN: So I thought I posted this a month ago but apparently not. Sorry about that. (But I guess the timing works out? Happy Holidays, I guess?) I'll try and get the next chapter up in a timely fashion. But with work being 12hr days 6 days a week... we'll see.**


	7. Chapter 6: Woke Up Alone

BOOK TWO

For nothing is evil in the beginning.

J.R.R. Tolkien

6.) Woke Up Alone

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes:

chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire.

\- Aristotle

 **MAKOTO**

"Have you talked to her yet?" Usagi asked, settling into the seat across from me. Her eyes showed the same pain that I was feeling... probably what all of us were feeling.

"No. Not yet." I replied, pulling my coffee towards me; idly running my thumb along the rim.

"She hasn't answered her cell or the texts we've sent." Ami added from beside me where she was curled in corner of the booth. It wasn't often that we managed to get together like this but the lull between Christmas day and New Years made it easier.

"And what about Minako? Do either of you know if she's talked to Rei?" Usagi questioned, the fretful undertone making me anxious. I tried to let the happy chatter of the coffee shop steady me.

"She's probably still getting the cold shoulder. Rei probably needs time to adjust before talking to Minako again... and the current situation would only make that worse. Rei's never been good at processing emotions." Ami pointed out softly, frowning down at her mug of tea. I reached over, draping my arm across her shoulders, feeling relief when she leaned into my side.

"How about Michiru and Haruka? Have they heard anything?" Mamoru asked from where he was slumped next to Usagi. I shook my head.

"They don't know anything more than we do – or if they do, they're playing it pretty close to the chest." I admitted, still a bit disappointed over that. I was accustomed to Rei being more open with Michiru than anyone else... and if even _she_ didn't know anything well, that was concerning. I sighed, Ami leaned into my side relieving some of the sorrow I was feeling. "I guess we'll just have to keep up with the news, whatever happens will make the papers."

"Yeah: business section or the obituaries." Mamoru agreed, the frown on his face deepening. Ami nodded, her brow knit in concern for our friend.

"All we can do is be there for her." Usagi commented, the reassurance in her voice sounding a bit forced like she didn't really believe it would be enough.

"As much as she lets us anyway." Mamoru added, a sliver of humour beginning to eat away at his mood. I found my expression easing into a faint smile.

"Honestly, we might have to break into her apartment." I agreed, only half joking.

"You wouldn't have to." Ami corrected with a roll of her eyes, seeming exasperated with the two of us. Then she looked over at me, a hint of sly humour in her gaze. "I still have her spare set of keys."

I grinned at her.

"Perfect. I'll run some food over to her place later then. The idiot never eats properly."

"So she can deal with a fridge full of rotting food on top of everything else?" Ami asked dryly.

"We can swing by every couple of days, clear out whatever she doesn't eat." Usagi pointed out, nudging my leg with her foot and giving me a smile. "Even if she isn't up to dealing with us we can still show that we care, she has a strict schedule so if we need to... we can avoid running into her. Give her the space she wants."

We shared a smile before Mamoru cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I hate to bring this up now but did Luna ever end up meeting with Rei to talk about the... _situation_?" He asked, his voice lowering slightly as he tried to stop anyone else from overhearing the conversation that was about to happen. Usagi looked away from him.

"I don't think so." She admitted. "I... I told her what happened, that Masaru was in the hospital, and she said she'd give Rei all the time she needed. I thought the rest of us could try and take care of whatever this is without her. At least for a while."

"And why don't you sound happier about that?" Mamoru asked with a frown.

"Rei's never really... liked her, I don't think she'll be happy about Luna knowing about her personal life." Usagi explained. Mamoru made a noise of understanding.

"You feel like you betrayed her."

"That too." She allowed, letting her shoulders slump. "I don't like the idea of keeping this from her, even if it's for her own good. We're... we're better as a team and I feel selfish for wanting her with us."

"She'll understand, you know that." Ami assured her with an oddly conflicted look. I knew better than to ask about it though, I'd just file it away until later. "Until then all we can do is support each other."

"Support each other and figure out how the hell to ease Rei into this." I muttered.

"Ease Rei into what?" Minako asked as she finally joined us. "Sorry I'm late, the traffic was horrendous and Kunzite's shit at parking."

"The whole 'we have the glorious privilege of fighting evil again' thing." I replied, glancing at the door to the coffee shop curiously. "And you didn't bring him with you, did you?"

"Kunzite? No, of course not. He had a last minute business meeting to attend to." She rolled her eyes at the idiocy of the question as she pulled a chair up to the table. I nudged her usual order towards her as she sat down, knowing that she'd launch right into the conversation with barely a hello. "So Luna didn't get in contact with her then?"

Mamoru shrugged, sharing a glance with me.

"We decided that she should take some time." I explained, recapping the conversation she missed. Minako nodded like this was exactly the answer she expected.

"So we'll have time to figure out some way to explain this to her?" Minako mused, seeming to be saying it more for her benefit than for our own.

"I'm honestly still a bit hazy on why you'd need to ease Rei into this..." Mamoru admitted. The rest of us shared a glance and after a second of silent communication Usagi spoke up.

"Well, Rei's always been evasive about what she remembers. There have been times where we've been talking about the past and she gets this look on her face... like it's her first time hearing it. Most of this was years ago but..." Usagi's voice trailed off slightly as she fumbled with how to describe what we'd seen.

"We've all had very clear memories of certain... _milestones_ , I suppose you could call them, and Rei doesn't seem to remember them the way we do. If at all. The few times she's spoken about the past – well, Ami noticed that it's more like she pieced it together from what we've told her rather than something she experienced. She's good at hiding it but over the years its become pretty obvious she doesn't actually remember anything." I explained when Usagi's attempts to continue the explanation devolved into vague hand gestures and annoyed noises.

"So... what are you thinking?" Mamoru prodded, leaning across the table as he met Ami's gaze squarely.

"I've had a theory for a while... our memories are what made us take up the fight in one way or another, Usagi told me it was the same for you. We all joined because we remembered each other. Rei wasn't like that. I mean, you were there the first time she got involved." Ami continued, picking up where I left off.

"Yeah, she jumped right in. No hesitation. Nearly got gored saving you, it certainly wasn't your most heroic introduction." Mamoru chuckled, with a slight nod in Minako's direction. She threw her napkin at him as he grinned.

"Exactly." Was all Ami said, I gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. It was her first time voicing her concerns to a group this large. She'd already seen Minako's reaction and it wasn't an altogether pleasant one.

"Sorry, you've lost me." Mamoru admitted, the frown back on his face as he stopped teasing Minako. The smile had faded from Minako's face as well, her expression calm and calculating; transforming her into the leader I knew from our younger days. Except this time we didn't have Rei as a counter balance.

"I think that maybe Rei didn't _need_ her memories to get her involved. She didn't need to remember us to fight. To do what was right... And so she didn't get them back." Ami told him, the careful front she was trying to portray had some very noticeable flaws, as much as she wanted to believe what she was saying some part of her brain wouldn't let her.

"Well, at least we hope it's that." Minako muttered, scowling down at the cup in her hands. The whole situation just felt wrong, it was the one thing we all agreed on. We just couldn't put our finger on what about it bothered us. I'd known that Ami and Minako had talked about this but it was becoming evident that it was still a sore spot between them. Even despite all the time that had passed.

"What's this dreaded second option?" Mamoru asked warily, instinctively positioning his body around Usagi.

"Ami thinks that she came back wrong." Minako explained with a startling lack of finesse.

"That is _not_ what I said." Ami exclaimed, her voice furious. I rubbed her knee beneath the table, hoping that the weight of my other arm around her shoulders would prevent her from rising from her seat and causing a scene. We really did not want to draw the attention of the rest of the patrons.

"It still ends up with the same result, no matter how you word it." Minako asserted, her voice cool as she and Ami glared at each other.

"Why am I just finding out about this? If you think..." Mamoru's ire was clearly beginning to rise to the surface. He took Usagi's protection very seriously and probably didn't like the fact that he had failed to see something that could have an impact.

"Because we were only just piecing it all together when the activity died down... there was no reason to pursue it or cause undue worry until now. But now, we need to come up with a solution." Minako explained, stopping him from following that line of thought any further. Ami remained silent, clearly fuming to herself. I rubbed a hand along my jaw, trying to figure out what to say.

"Minako, it's obvious that you don't like the possible explanation Ami came up with but you do have to consider the fact she could be right." Usagi pointed out softly, reaching across the table and settling her hand over Minako's. "You and Rei have always been... close. And I know how much you care for her. We all care for her but none of us knew her the way you did. You two were inseparable and I know you don't want to consider the fact that..."

"Rei didn't come back wrong." Minako responded vehemently, the quiet whisper of her words coming out with all the weight of a scream. I did my best not to react to the way the cutlery in front of her was warping in on itself – she didn't even seem to realize what she was doing.

"That's not what they're saying." I corrected, doing my best to soothe her as I met her gaze as calmly as I could. It was taking everything I had not to react to the heightened state of her emotions, the tension in her was intense. "Ami's just concerned that maybe Rei isn't ready to remember. The memories can be traumatic, I mean, you remember the nightmares..."

"And her death wasn't exactly... peaceful." Mamoru mumbled as he ran through that particular memory, his body finally relaxed it's protective posturing instead fading into understanding and acceptance. Neither he nor Usagi seemed to react to Minako's power usage at all, either they remained oblivious or they trusted her more than I did where Rei was concerned. I liked Minako, you really couldn't help that, but I knew she and Rei made each other increasingly idiotic. So yeah, I didn't really trust either of them when the other was involved – they were both emotionally compromised. And were too blind to see it. "So you're thinking she blocked them to protect herself?"

"Or something like that. Maybe it's to protect us? I don't know. Either she doesn't remember and those memories need to surface in their own time or she remembers and is trying not to... either way; we shouldn't push her." Ami told him, her knuckles were still white as she gripped her mug of tea. I shot Minako the most subtle glare I could manage.

"What you're saying is getting her back into this needs to be done carefully?" Mamoru prompted, his brow furrowed as he considered the possible stress his friend could be under. When Minako gave a half-hearted shrug, Ami's jaw clenched before she gave a curt nod.

Mamoru leaned back in his seat, his change of posture jostling the table slightly – the metallic ring of cutlery echoing around us.

"So we do it gently. Talk to her about what we need to do before hand... before there's even the chance of her encountering any potential triggers. If she's not ready to remember, we respect that. Don't push her into anything, she'll come around. She's never let us down before and she won't start now." His tone rang with conviction, fierce loyalty and care echoed through his words.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat. It felt good to have someone say it in simple terms. As much as I loved her, Ami could come off as a bit clinical... and Minako was too close to the situation to remain impartial. It would have wound up in a fight if he hadn't stepped in. Ami and I both looked away as Minako reached out and smoothed the metal she'd twisted out of shape.

 **KUNZITE**

I settled in at the bar to wait for Rei despite knowing that she'd probably spent far too much time in bars and clubs but there weren't a lot of options available – most of the local businesses I frequented had closed their doors to allow their employees take time off during Christmas and the lull until New Years Eve.

So I simply found the smallest emptiest hole in the wall bar around and waited, knowing full well I was lucky that Rei still made time to see me with everything else going on. The situation with her father had eventually made its way to me through Minako and the others. But Rei didn't disappoint; showing up exactly on time, throwing herself down on the stool next to me.

"What the fuck do you want Kunzite?" She asked, her voice sounding more exhausted than angry. I could see the underlying tension and stress, and couldn't really understand why she was meeting with me. I was starting to think that maybe I should just tell her to go home and sleep instead. "Because I am not in the mood for any bullshit."

"Well hello to you too." I greeted, the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them and I inwardly cringed at the tone in my voice. It would probably be seen as overly familiar, I had a bad habit of teasing people I liked.

We might have been on opposite sides in the past life but I'd respected her. And now, knowing she was the only one with whom I could speak plainly... I realized that I'd enjoyed her company. But considering the circumstances she probably would not appreciate that. She had enough on her plate at the moment without adding my lack of propriety to that.

I gave a bit of a sigh, staring down into my glass of water – wondering if maybe it wasn't too early for alcohol. I gave up and ordered a real drink. I could feel Rei's impatience rising as she waited for the bartender to finish his task and leave us in privacy again, shaking her head roughly when asked if she wanted anything.

"Just get to the point." She told me, rolling her eyes as he walked away.

"I wanted to talk." I told her, then couldn't really find the words to express just what it was I was feeling.

"So I gathered." Rei commented dryly, a hint of a smile on her face. Something in my chest lightened at that, making me realize that maybe she had kept our meeting to distract herself. Maybe this was helping her – giving her some room to breathe.

"I wanted to ask how you were coping with this." I admitted, then realized how the question might have sounded... more like I was trying to invade her privacy and less like I wanted her advice. I could already see her preparing to tell me to mind my own damn business. "What I mean to say is I've got no clue how to deal with all these conflicting thoughts and memories in my head."

"What do you mean?" She asked after a moment, then considered her words and continued. "Specifically."

"I mean, how can I love two people at the same time? I see Minako and everything seems to make sense... all this bullshit seems to fall away. But at the same time I know I'm lying to her and myself but it..."

"Makes you happy. And it makes her happy." Rei completed then tapped her fingers against the bar top thoughtfully. "And the other person?"

"Doesn't remember anything about me. Not the real me anyway. And I don't feel like I have any right to drag him away from his happiness, I don't want to force him to remember." I continued, trying my hardest to verbalize what I was thinking. Then I looked over at her. "It's like strangers are wearing my friends faces.. and yet they're also somehow my friends? I – I don't understand it. I know they're happy, incredibly happy... Almost scarily so; they're living the life they've always dreamed of. And I just wanted to know how you were able to deal with this without going crazy? Because I could really use some help right about now."

"You came to me for advice?" Rei asked almost incredulously, looking almost ready to laugh in my face. "I thought it was pretty clear the other night that I wasn't fucking dealing with it. If I'd come to any kind of solution I'd have dealt with everything by now."

"But you haven't gone insane yet. That's kinda the help I'm asking for here... because it feels like I'm losing it. I'm losing sight of what's right and what's wrong. What's real and what isn't."

"I honestly don't think I'm the best judge of 'sane'; not exactly the picture of mental health here. Hell, half the time I think all this is just in my head. And I have no idea if the others would even believe me if I tried to tell them." Rei replied, rubbing at her temples. Her face was drawn and pale... clearly her father's condition, on top of everything else, was having an effect on her. Whatever was happening between the two of them was fucking her up. "And I told you this shit already, why are you asking me again?"

"Because I had time to process it finally... to really understand everything. The ramifications. And I'm starting to think this whole thing is a bad idea." I admitted with a sigh. Rei shook her head.

"You're an idiot." She sighed, frowning at the bar top. Something about it made me pause.

"Yeah, tell me something I don't know." I chuckled, looking over at Rei again; focusing more clearly on her expression. Something was nagging at the back of my mind. And then everything slid into place.

Her expression reminded me so much of the woman I'd encountered in the past, her eyes were bleak almost like she'd lost all hope. A part of her was missing and just as before what she wanted was right in front of her but it was always, _always_ , just out of reach.

I fought the urge to throw up, the sensation of getting punched in the stomach was almost overwhelming. I was struck down by the knowledge of what could happen to me. What would happen to me if I kept on this path.

I might care for Minako, love her even, but it seemed to pale in comparison to how I felt about Zoisite. I'd known that from the moment I'd gained my full memories but I didn't truly realize the entirety of the situation until just now. I loved her but he completed me.

And this is what years of dealing with that conflict looked like. Hopelessness and loathing. A festering wound that didn't seem to heal.

"Shit." I swore, forcing my eyes away from her and back down to my glass. I knew that if I didn't resolve my past I'd end up just like her – conflicted and in emotional agony. I had to get this shit dealt with even if it meant causing pain in people I loved. Both for Minako and Zoisite.

"It sounds like you've figured something the fuck out." Rei muttered, her finger no longer tapping against the wooden counter top. Her expression was tight, almost like she feared the end to this conversation...despite the fact she'd been borderline hostile through out it.

"Yeah..." I answered, feeling like I was in a daze. "I can't be like you, I refuse to turn out like you. I need to fix this, I can't spend the rest of my life being broken." 

Rei gave a bitter laugh, the sound sharp and grating against my ears. It was raw and cynical.

"Well, good luck with that. I've no idea what brought your memories back... because nothing, not in all the years I've known them, has made any difference. There's never been any sliver of recognition in their eyes." She told me as I started to get up... then she caught my arm. Her eyes were cold this time.

"We're not done here." She told me, I swallowed trying to fight back my hesitancy. I lowered myself back into my seat as she scowled at the wall across from us.

"You went and talked to _her_." She commented lowly. I looked over at her sharply, instantly knowing who she was talking about.

"Howdo you know that?" I asked in surprise. Rei's answering smile was more of a grimace.

"You're predictable. Painfully so in fact." I frowned at her, confused over why she was acting like this. She'd been the one to tell me about Beryl; that she existed in this world and that I could find her. So why was she acting like I'd done something wrong when I'd done exactly that?

"Why do you care?" I asked, bristling. Rei gave me a scathing look.

"This is bigger than you. Bigger than me. Bigger than our pathetic hopes and dreams so pay attention because I'm only going to say this once." Rei told me, her voice all sharp and steely edges. "This tentative calm we're experiencing right now? It's going to break... and sooner rather than later. And what little I've managed to _salvage_ of this world will come crashing down. So I need to know _why_ you met Beryl. And then I need to know what you discussed."

I gave a heavy sigh, realizing she was looking for answers as much as I was. Only she wasn't looking for them for herself, she was looking for a way to hold the situation together. She was trying to avoid an outright war. And for that she needed information.

"I went to see her because... because I had to. She's not a god or a queen or a general but she was ours." I told her, folding my hands together in front of me as I leaned my elbows on the counter top, looking towards Rei as I tried to read her. "You never really _knew_ Beryl... She took the greatest attributes of our people and raised them to new heights. And when I say greatest I don't just mean the best. I first met her during the start of the civil war, she was -"

I could feel the choking pressure of those particular memories resurfacing; the crushing lack of breath and near panic that the chaos had brought with it.

Rei's hand rested against my shoulder, pulling me from that place in my mind.

"You don't have to talk about that." She told me gently, clearly recognizing what I was going through. I found myself wondering if her own memories of this nature ever kept her up at night. I shook my head, dismissing her concern; knowing this was something I needed to explain to her. But I changed the way I approached the story, sidestepping the issue for a moment to give Rei some more background.

"She didn't start out as a politician, she started out as Mamoru's personal aid. She was... no one special until suddenly she _was_. I was in the city, one of the few remaining loyalist soldiers, when the things started to go sideways..." I paused for a moment, frowning softly as tried to remember the exact order of events. "She saved him you know? Saved his life and then with blood on her hands and murder in her heart... she stopped to _talk_. And after that there was no stopping her. No stopping us, even if... if maybe there should have been.

"It was like watching a tsunami sweep across the city and then, in time, engulf the world. I mean, sure, it put out the fires but it left destruction in its wake too. Lives and homes needed to be rebuilt and, because Mamoru was raised the way he was, he had the necessary skill set to organize that kind of effort. He might have been on the throne but she was the one who put him there. Kept him there. People followed him because she was at his side, he knew that, he _used_ that. She was the strength, the power, the _muscle_ behind his rule... he didn't want her to be that and neither did she. But it was how things were so they made it work. They had to... there was nothing else to do.

"So yes, I went to talk to her. I went because some one has to and it wasn't going to be you or Setsuna. I've seen a world be shaped by Beryl before and as much as I'm loyal to her, to everything she stands for, I don't always agree. And she needs that because it's the only thing keeping her on the right side of things. It's all too easy for her to cross that line. And she knows it."

"You hold her accountable." Rei commented, her tone only hinting at a question. I shook my head, that hadn't been what I was trying to say.

"I trust her." I replied, my voice firm and unrelenting.

"You trust her?" Rei prompted, clearly requesting clarification. It wasn't a judgment it was a desire to understand. I nodded.

"Because she doesn't always trust herself. She needs me to question so I will... but for that I need to be with her. Where she's concerned I can't waver. And I couldn't let her go into this alone."

"Alright." Rei told me with a satisfied nod. I let out a rush of a sigh, knowing I now needed to explain the content of the conversation I had with Beryl. Rei gestured for me to continue.

"Beryl, well, she's trying to keep the others out of this. She needs the Source but we don't know how to find it. So as long as the others remain unaware of what were after... we've no reason to fight them... We've got no reason to hurt them – to hurt Minako." I explained, knowing that Minako's safety was probably one Rei's key concerns. With that out of the way I wracked my brain; trying to remember exact details of what we'd spoken of.

There was a long silence where Rei studied me before she nodded.

"Alright." Rei said amicably, getting to her feet. She was clearly finished with the conversation.

"What? That's it?" I hissed at her as she brushed me off, trying to avoid catching the bartenders notice with my rising anger. "I just give you a short sentence and you just go with it? What the fuck was the point of asking if you're just going to shrug off what I'm saying?"

"I'm not shrugging it off. Beryl told me the same thing when we spoke." Rei told me with a calm expression in place despite my hostile tone and body language.

"Then why the hell did you need to ask me?" I demanded, rising from my seat. Rei's expression turned cool.

"I was fairly certain Beryl was being straight with me when we talked but I needed to make sure." Rei answered with a shrug. "Trust, but verify."

I paused, frowning at Rei as I came to a conclusion about her.

"If you didn't need me to confirm your intel... would you still have told me how to find Beryl? Or that she had even surfaced?" I asked, feeling a bit chilled by Rei's clinical look at the situation and how casually she had used me to get information.

Rei looked over at me, her expression contemplative.

"As much as I'd like to say I would... I doubt it." She replied eventually, her features were slightly twisted in distaste... like she'd realized something and she didn't particularly enjoy it.

"Whatever." I muttered, pulling my coat on. Rei gave a bit of a stiff nod, turning her back on me before hesitating and looking back.

"Kunzite?" She drew my attention back to her before continuing. "Just... think a bit on everything a bit before you act, alright?"

I felt confused for a moment, there was a sliver of vulnerability in the set of her shoulders and the line of her gaze. Then understanding dawned. We were back to the subject of Minako... and Rei was asking me not to hurt her. Then the vulnerability was gone, filled in by a wry quirk of her lips and a taunting tone in her voice.

"I'd hate to see you get hauled off in a straight jacket because you said something you shouldn't have."

I gave a careful nod, not entirely sure of what to say. I wanted to ask her a lot of questions now, mostly if she truly believed that would be Minako's reaction to the truth... Did Rei truly doubt them that much? Or was it just doubt in herself?

"Goodbye Rei." I told her, wishing there was more I could say but she was already at the door. The stiffening of her spine made me realize she was preparing to face reality again. The reality of a dying father, a missing love, and an oncoming storm.

I swallowed roughly, letting her walk out into the snowy day alone. I got the feeling she didn't want company on her way to where ever she was going. Maybe in the next couple days things would get easier for her.

 **USAGI**

The gathering the day before was still on my mind as I sat down at the breakfast table the next morning. I didn't like seeing my friends fight as Ami and Minako had... it took a lot to get either of them angry but the topic of discussion had certainly done the trick.

It seemed Rei would always hold that dubious honour.

I gave a sigh and reached over to my cellphone as I waited for the kettle to boil for tea.

As always I began my morning reading with the news, flipped through the headlines of various news agencies. This time one article in particular caught my eye... and it was quickly joined by another.

The horror I felt grew as I scrolled through the articles in front of me, immediately reaching for the phone. We needed to do some serious damage control it seemed. The phone barely had time to ring before Ami answered.

"Usagi, what's going on?" Ami asked, sounding exhausted. A quick look at the clock told me she'd probably only just gotten off work.

"Sorry for interrupting your time off, but have you checked the news yet?" I asked, trying not to pick at the hole in the corner of my couch cushion.

"I... no. Is this about Rei?" Ami questioned, making the jump from tired to worried. I paused, letting out a deep sigh.

"Two things about Rei, really. And one thing about Minako and Kunzite." Time froze for a moment as Ami processed what I'd just told her.

"Hang on, I'll put you on speaker phone." Ami told me, a clinical tone in her voice. "Makoto, Usagi's on the line."

I took that as permission to start talking, even if I hadn't greeted Makoto yet.

"I was reading the news..." I started, hoping my anxiousness wasn't as obvious as I thought it was.

"Fuck." Makoto cursed softly, interrupting me. "Rei's father..?"

"Yes, that's the first bit. His funeral is this afternoon. Apparently he passed a couple days ago."

"First bit?" Makoto winced, the question implying that she thought she would regret asking.

"The other bit was in the entertainment section. So nothing's confirmed but it doesn't look good. Like _really_ not good."

"Quit dicking around and cut to the chase." Makoto gritted out, her voice tense and angry.

"Minako dumped her fiance. And the picture accompanying the story is of Rei and Kunzite, apparently that was Kunzite's _business meeting_." I told them, doing my best to brace myself for the coming reactions.

I promptly dropped the phone as _Ami's_ explosive cursing caught me completely off guard and drowned out whatever Makoto's reaction was. I scrambled to pick it up, managing to catch the tail end of her rant.

"...complete and utter bullshit, I can't believe they'd do this to her!"

"Sorry?" I asked, unsure how to phrase my question any clearer. On the other end of the line I heard Makoto mumble out a confused 'What?'.

"Do you two seriously not know?" Ami demanded, sounding even more incensed. Then with a frustrated sigh she decided to explain. "The media is just taking advantage of Rei's position as the heir to AED and that she's now, officially, in charge. That's all this is – they're using the death of her father to hype this up into something it's not."

"All this is? Minako broke up with Kunzite, I just looked it up and the photos..." Makoto put in.

"Oh my _god_ , I suppose I actually have to spell this out." Ami said with an annoyed sigh, this time I got the feeling it was directed at us rather than the press. "Rei's strictly into women. Zero flexibility on that front."

"What?" I asked, feeling kind of thrown. My mind cycling though Rei's interactions with quite a few of her male companions. "What about..?"

"Friends." Ami told me sternly. "Any of the guys you could possibly be thinking of, friends are all they were. Friends or people Rei tolerated enough not to rip their spines out with her bare hands."

"I... huh." Was all Makoto managed to get out, clearly she was having to reconsider a lot of what we thought we knew about our friend. Just like I was. "When did you find this out?"

"When I sat down and asked her." Ami snapped, there was a huff of a sigh. "Sorry, I just – I'm angry. We all judged Rei unfairly in the past and it's bugging me more and more of late."

There was another sigh, heavier this time.

"I've known about Rei since we were in high school, she didn't really spread it around – In fact she did her best to encourage the misconception that she was into guys... because of her father, right? The bastard." Ami explained.

"What did you mean when by 'we all judged Rei' before?" Makoto asked softly, gently... clearly picking up on something in Ami's tone that I had missed.

"Rei and Michiru stopped their relationship after, or possibly even before, the wedding." Ami mumbled out, the frown obvious in her voice.

"WHAT?" Makoto demanded. "But they..!"

"Are apparently just friends now. Rei was quite adamant about the fact they stopped when Michiru and Haruka made it official."

"Then why would she let us think that about her?" I continued, picking up on where I thought Makoto was going with the question Ami cut off. Ami was uncharacteristically abrupt, she wasn't taking her usual time in hearing us out. We all knew her brain worked faster than ours but normally she allowed us some time to catch up.

That was very much not the case today.

"Because she's Rei? Probably thought correcting us would involve a long, drawn out, and involved argument. So she'd just sit there and take it. Even getting her to admit it to me was a bit like pulling teeth." Ami admitted.

"I can see why you were angry now." I allowed.

"That's not even the worst of it." Ami sighed into the phone.

"Fuck me. What's the worst of it?" Makoto demanded, her language worsening with the situation.

"Minako still thinks Rei's bisexual. Which probably means that..." Ami outlined weakly.

"Minako probably believes that Rei and Kunzite..." Makoto let her voice trail off. "Well, shit."

 **KUNZITE**

I unlocked the front door and slipped inside, already trying to figure out how to explain all this to Minako. I'd ended up not coming home last night, taking Rei's advice to think things over and not do anything rash. But the more I thought about it... the more I felt the need to come clean and admit to Minako that I couldn't do this anymore. It wasn't that I didn't love her... I did, it's just I didn't love her the way she thought I did - didn't love her the way I knew I was capable of.

So I'd come home from the hotel I'd crashed at, ready to sit Minako down and come clean. I just needed to figure out what the hell to say.

"Morning." I greeted as I walked into the kitchen to find Minako cooking breakfast. Out of habit I leaned over to kiss her, meeting her cheek instead of her lips when she turned her head at the last second. "Sorry about last night, I had some things to go over – didn't want to spoil your evening with... work. You needed the time off."

Minako hummed a response before shifting away, putting down the spatula as she reached for something else.

"This was dropped off at the house last night, you might want to take a look at it." Minako suggested sliding a thick envelope across the counter top towards me. Something in her voice changed as she continued. "And how was the meeting?"

"Mh?" I questioned distractedly as I opened the yellow package, shaking its contents out into my hands.

"The meeting you were at yesterday?" She repeated and out of the corner of my eye I noticed that she turned to watch me.

"It went well." I replied, then started to stammer. I was frozen looking down at what had been in the envelope. "I... um."

The photographs in my hands were slipping from between my fingers and fluttering to the ground. Rei and I sharing a drink. Her hand on my arm, a gentle look in her eye. Her and I arguing, a look of hurt on both our faces. Me watching her leave like she was taking all the answers in the universe with her.

"So, Kunzite, the meeting... anything you want to tell me about it?" Minako asked, tossing her tablet down in front of me as the last photo drifted out of my grip. A quick look at the screen showed me a news site with a dramatically titled article detailing my affair with Rei.

"Minako, I can explain." I told her. "I..."

"You know what? I don't care that you can explain, I care that you lied. So let's start again. How. Did. The. Meeting. Go?"

"It wasn't a meeting." I admitted, hoping it was actually what she wanted to hear. "I went to go see Rei?"

"Why?" She asked, her face and tone hard and grating.

"We didn't do anything Minako, Rei and I would never..." I protested.

"Then why bother lying about it?"

"Minako..." I started, stepping towards her. It was only after her name left my lips that I realized it sounded patronizing and dismissive. Her eyes blazed as she jerked out of my reach.

"You told me it was a business meeting! Why the _fuck_ did you _lie_ to me?" She demanded, yelling at me in her fury.

"Well, I had to tell you something!" I yelled back, unable to stop the words from passing through my lips.

For having an argument about lying... I was being entirely too truthful. This was absolutely not the way Minako deserved to find out about any of our past. She didn't need to find out I'd been placed against her yet again. Or that the only reason Rei had met with me was because she was talking with Beryl.

"And why the hell was Rei talking to you, of all people? She hasn't been in contact with any of us since Christmas but she'll talk to _you_?!" Minako demanded, the hurt in her tone becoming more evident – echoing between us. It was only now that I noticed how much a part of Minako her powers were... and that they were what had drawn me to her. She and I had always understood each other until I'd run into Rei and realized what exactly it had been between us all along.

"I – Minako, it's not like that. Rei just... we know each other okay? She understands what I'm going through."

"What you're going through?" Minako asked, sounding absolutely enraged now. I couldn't tell if she was angry at me or if she was angry at Rei. Or angry about the fact Rei had come to me.

"I... Rei – looking at her, I realized I can't do this, Minako. Not when I'm in love with someone else. I can't do that to us. I can't do that to _myself_." I told Minako, doing my best to hide my own heart break.

I did love this woman, dearly in fact. But it wasn't enough. There was someone else I loved more and someone else who loved her more; there was no way I could stand in between that.

"Rei's the only one I could talk to about it. She's the only one who sees who I really am, who I used to be. And I can't pretend to be completely happy anymore. It would kill both of us and I can't have that. So I have to let you go... For her." I said, fumbling for a way to make this sound less horrible than it already did. I knew I wasn't succeeding. I was probably only making things worse.

 **MINAKO**

I was fairly certain I was going to throw up. That was the only thought running through my head. At least the only thought of my own.

Kunzite's emotions were crashing over me in waves. Love. A fierce protectiveness. A crippling sense of anguish like he was somehow missing a limb. Regret as he watched my face fall.

I looked down, realizing I'd taken off the ring he'd given me and was holding it out to him. Numbly.

His fumbling apologies rang through my head as he reached out to try and reassure me, folding my hand back around the ring; refusing to take it. But he couldn't deny it – it was over.

He was leaving me for Rei.

"Get out." I told him, trying to keep my voice steady. He looked ready to reach out to me... to try and explain, but upon catching sight of my face he retreated.

"Minako, that's not how it sounded..." He told me as he reached the door, the sincerity of his tone set me off. I hurled the engagement ring at his head.

"Get the fuck out, Kunzite." I yelled, fighting the urge to storm in his direction and physically throw him from the house.

"I'm sorry." I heard him say as he shut the door. I fought back the urge to cry as I turned my attention back to the breakfast that was still cooking on the stove. I leaned closer to assess the damage – the charred remains smoking in the pan.

Tears sprang to my eyes as I fumbled to switch off the heat, knowing that my plans for the future had just gone up in flames.

 **REI**

Standing here...for some reason I just couldn't feel anything about what had happened. A part of me knew that despite the fact we never had a good relationship he was still family – still my father. But the other part...

It was like it just couldn't touch me and that scared me more than anything. I wrapped my jacket tighter around my body, trying to fight off the cold in my heart, as I watched them lower the casket into the grave. The rest of the ceremony passed in a blur, like someone had hit fast forward on my life.

Who knows. Maybe someone had.

All the same, I simply stood there automatically responding to the offered condolences from my father's former business partners and friends. The brief handshakes or half embraces where applicable. The half murmured apologies or sympathies – the half-hearted reassurance that he was in a better place now. Eventually the crowd of mourners thinned out, leaving me standing alone in front of the fresh grave.

"Hey kid." Silas greeted, his voice didn't have the same tone it normally did.

"Silas." I replied, he looked down at the grave – looking over the epitaph that was engraved on the head stone.

"Hino Masaru. A Life of Honour. A Devoted Husband and Friend." He read softly. He looked over at me. "How very heartfelt, Rei."

"Didn't think adding 'A Shit Father' was very appropriate." I replied, kicking at the snow by my feet. He gave me a look.

"Don't be a smart ass." He warned.

"Look, if you want it changed – change it." I told him with a sigh. "If you want to make him seem like a respectable family man, go for it. I've never been needed for that."

Silas laid a hand on my shoulder.

"That's not what I was saying. You're allowed to hate him for dying before you two resolved your issues. You don't have to feel guilty about it." Silas told me. I wanted to turn on him, to yell and scream but I couldn't dredge up the energy to be explosive. His hand squeezed my shoulder. "It's alright to be upset."

I didn't reply, instead I chose to simply stare at the headstone.

 _A life of honour._

 _Devoted husband and friend._

Those had been his priorities in life... and so would they be in death. I almost laughed. Honour and devotion. He had been a decent man in every manner of reckoning except for one. And his downfall in that arena had been due to the best of his traits.

Honour and devotion. How could such rare and remarkable traits cause such pain?

"It'll get easier Rei. You just need to give it time." Silas murmured, still trying to console me.

Time. I almost laughed at him, instead the noise that came out was more of a strangled cough.

"I gave him time, it never helped. I don't see why this should be any different." I told him, his hand was removed from my shoulder.

"You're not going to hate him forever." Silas stated, a calmness in his voice that was almost eerie in its certainty. Again I felt a flicker of anger. It wasn't really at Silas, just the circumstances we'd all been placed in.

"Silas, he all but disowned me when I was twelve... only welcoming me back when I proved I might have a use. I know he was trying to fix things between us I just don't think it was soon enough." He'd spent too much time trying to mend bridges that had burned to ash long ago, his time would have been better spent building a new one.

"He left you the company." Silas stated, his voice copying the same emotional detachment that mine had. 

"I read the damn will, Silas. I know that." I told him, the barest hint of annoyance steeped into my voice. The sympathy in his eyes said a lot more than he ever would. The level of understanding and forgiveness in him never ceased to surprise me.

"Too little too late huh?" He prompted, a saddened expression on his face.

"No. Too much too late. I never wanted the damn company or the money. I never fucking wanted any of that." I replied as dispassionately as possible.

"Rei..." He started, I felt something inside of me give in. I glanced at him, feeling the words tumble out of me. The words I'd never been able to say before.

"I'm just... sick of waiting to have a family again." I muttered, trying to express how much I had wanted _normal_ instead of all this uncertain insanity. I hated that I still cared for anything in this world. "I wish I could have hated him, it would have made this so much easier."

He was silent after this. And eventually he turned and walked away.

 **MICHIRU**

I watched as Masaru's aide left Rei's side but I didn't focus on him. My gaze was centred on Rei. I didn't need to hear them to know what they'd been talking about. The unusually stiff awkwardness about Rei could only mean one thing. They were talking about her relationship with Masaru.

Knowing her the way that I did made it clear to me that all she had wanted from him was his love... or at the very least his approval of _something_ about her. But everything between them had been complicated. They made it impossible to love one another.

"Are you coming with us?" My mother asked, laying a hand on my arm. I spared her a glance, she was watching Rei with concern in her eyes. My father's arm wrapped around her shoulders. I knew the main reason they'd come to this funeral was because of Rei. The funeral was the last show on Masaru's behalf. They had wanted to be there for Rei, unlike many of the other attendees. For most of them this event was purely sound business practice. It was showmanship, plain and simple.

"No. I think I'm going to stay here for a bit." I told her, she nodded like she had known that was what I was going to say.

"Keep her out of trouble?" She asked, squeezing my arm gently. A small smile appeared on her face for the briefest of seconds.

"Always." I replied, returning my attention to Rei. There was a soft crunch of snow under my parent's shoes as they left the two of us alone.

Rei.

Wishing to be loved. Her desire for a family. It was the most painful part about her. The child who hadn't been wanted or included and the father who had lost his ability to connect. They had lost such a vital part of themselves and it was a wound that, now, would never heal. The two of them were, quite honestly, a mess.

Their relationship had never been easy but that had only been made worse with the resurgence of Rei's memories of her past life. The emotional baggage from her past made any relationship with her father that much more difficult.

In the current world she had been given a glimpse of a happy life, a life where she simply had a normal family. A normal mother. A normal father. But it was only the briefest of glimpses. Then that happy reality had been replaced with a shadow of its former self. And all too soon Rei was given memories of an all too different father.

A father who was not simply detached and absent, but one who fully resented her existence.

Part of her no doubt blamed herself for the position she was in. Two lives, two failed families. She was the common factor in the two situations. Not the only common factor but it was enough. That had always been her greatest flaw – her inability to believe that she was capable of being loved.

Her life had been better this time around but the scarring that accompanied her from her past life had left her wary of her father. Even if she didn't admit it, she shied from him, unwilling to give him the chance to hurt her further.

His abandonment of her had been reason enough for her to be wary of him, but the addition of faults from a former time would linger over him like a dark cloud. Her regard for him was irreparably damaged.

They had been doomed as a family from the moment Risa had died. They had wanted to love each other. They just couldn't bring themselves to admit it for fear of loosing what they had. Rei had always felt it but she had steeled herself against it, prepared for the worst case scenario.

I sighed and walked forward. Right now she needed someone who knew. Someone who understood.

 **REI**

I felt a hand slip into mine as I stood frozen in place. I couldn't bring myself to look over at who it was. I didn't feel like I particularly cared.

"Come on Rei, it's time to leave." Michiru's soft voice told me, the hand intertwined with mine carefully began to guide me away from the grave. I followed blindly, trusting Michiru's guidance implicitly.

I had no idea how long I'd been standing there until Michiru's voice made me aware of something.

"You're cold." Michiru stated tenderly, slipping closer to me as we walked toward my car. I could feel the warmth of her throughout my body.

"Yeah..." I murmured in reply, looking over at her and wondering how I could possibly vocalize what I was thinking.

"Where are you going? Michiru asked as she eased the keys from my hand and remote started the car. I snatched them from her hand and gave her a look, too tired to even argue with the fact she was going to ruin her New Years Eve hanging around me.

 **MICHIRU**

"You can't just throw yourself into work, Rei." I chided, my expression probably doing more to communicate my meaning than my words or tone. Rei disregarded what I'd said, pretending as if she hadn't heard me... despite the fact she'd seen me speak.

"You can't have paperwork to do. Honestly." I added with a slight eye roll, moving around the desk to lean against it in front of her. Trying to put myself between her and whatever she was so intently focusing on.

Again she ignored me.

I gave a soft huff of apparent defeat before jerking the folder away from her. Rei let out an indignant sound of protest.

"You're insufferable you know that, right?" Rei muttered after she managed to school her features into an impassive expression.

"What I am is _worried_." I told her softly, letting my hand fall to rest on hers.

"So go be worried some where else." Rei grumbled. I moved my hand from hers, doing my best not to feel hurt by her words. Her eyes looked up at me just in time to see my face fall.

"Shit." Rei swore, the word falling from her lips as if by accident; her expression immediately contrite. "Michiru..."

I shook my head, the action silencing her immediately. I knew that Rei got defensive and would lash out when in pain, it might hurt in the moment but there was nothing she could do that would make me leave her.

Not again.

Never again.

I might give her space but I wasn't going to fucking leave. Even if she was a complete idiot.

"I understand that you need time to mourn but I'm not going to let you do it in a dark office with only your paperwork for company. That's not going to happen, understood?"

Rei nodded, looking thoroughly chastened.

"What do you suggest?" She questioned, leaning back in her chair – putting distance between herself and former object of her focus.

"When was the last time you broke your self imposed 'I don't drink' rule?" I replied, hoping she'd catch on to the fact I wanted her to break said rule. But as I watched for a reaction she closed herself off; all emotions and facial cues hidden behind a carefully constructed poker face. I paused, immediately realizing what that particular reaction meant.

The last time had been due to 'mysterious circumstances' which I, in no way, knew anything about. It certainly wasn't like both she and Setsuna had been cagey of late. And it _definitely_ had nothing to do with the red haired Senator.

Then Rei's poker face broke, her eyes meeting mine with the ghost of a playful glint in them.

"Often." She corrected jokingly even if her tone was a little too rigid to be sincere. "I don't drink _often_."

"Exactly." I smiled back as I took her hand again.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to get me into trouble again?" Rei murmured, a resigned look on her face; this time however there was actual humour lacing it.

"I'm not the troublemaker in this relationship." I replied. "I thought our past made that painfully obvious."

"I seem to recall you being the instigator many times... if not _all_." Rei commented with a roll of her eyes. She was getting to her feet though, which I saw as a promising start.

"You've been in plenty of trouble without my help. Though I suppose we can go test your theory... see if a new year gives new results."

"The New Year is still hours off." Rei informed me after glancing at her phone to check the date and time.

"Plenty of time to find trouble then." I responded with a sly grin.

"I thought the point was to not get in trouble?" Rei gritted out but followed me to the door anyway. I leaned up and pressed a kiss to her cheek as she stepped out of her office and into the deafening chaos of the bar beyond.

"That sounds painfully boring Rei. Learn to live a little, you're horrifically out of practice." I informed her.

"And you still think I'm the troublemaker?" Rei asked under her breath, disbelief seeping through her tone. I ignored her.

"Personally I think we should take this elsewhere, remove the temptation." I said, turning around to watch Rei's reaction to this. She laughed with only a hint of bitterness.

"Temptation? To what? Be responsible with my liquor?"

"To work. I hardly believe you know what to do with liquor any more, let alone how to be irresponsible with it." I clarified. Rei rolled her eyes again, she was still seeming sullen despite the relatively lighthearted banter. I resolved to work a bit harder at breaking through the melancholy.

And then I picked up on another presence angling their way towards us. Rei seemed too focused on me to notice, either that or she trusted the newcomer enough that warning flags weren't being raised.

 **REI**

"Rei!" An angry voice yelled over the music, I immediately cringed knowing there was only one person here who would talk to me like that.

"What the actual fuck are you doing here?" Ren demanded hostilely, grabbing my arm and jerking me around so we were face to face. I had the feeling I had a rather sheepish expression on my face... that feeling only intensified as I noticed the grin on Michiru's face. She'd probably never seen me wear that particular expression with anyone but her.

"Chell just told me you'd arrived, you better not be here to work. I _told_ you I had this covered. In fact, I recall threatening you with bodily harm if you showed up here tonight." Ren lectured, hands on her hips, and I found myself fumbling for a way to talk my way out of this. The scolding expression on her face wasn't exactly helping my brain work any faster. I absentmindedly ran a hand along the back of my neck, trying to come up with an answer as well as relieve the vague prickling sensation Michiru's gaze was causing.

I shot a brief glance in Michiru's direction, hoping she wouldn't sell me out when I finally got my excuse out.

"Um..." I started, very obviously fumbling with my words. Michiru leaned in the doorway to my office, clearly content in watching me struggle. So I said the only thing that sounded reasonable. "I'm here to drink actually?"

"Finally decided to cope like the rest of us, huh?" Ren asked me, though the exasperated glance she shot in Michiru's direction made me think she knew that hadn't been the original plan.

"Seemed like the thing to do?" I offered with a feeble shrug. Ren gave a laugh that came out more as a snort.

"You're cute when you try to act human." She pointed out patting me on the cheek, Michiru was trying to stifle her laughter upon seeing the look of surprise that flickered across my face. She seemed to find this whole exchange incredibly endearing.

"Now come on, there's a booth upstairs. Should be a bit quieter so your friend can coach you on how to do this properly." Ren told me. Then, taking advantage of my slightly stunned silence, she turned to Michiru.

"You must be Michiru, I'm Ren." She greeted, linking her arm with my friends as she began to lead us through the crowd. With a roll of my eyes I trailed after them, torn between amusement and annoyance.

"Pleasure to meet you Ren." Michiru replied, sounding genuinely like she enjoyed the spectacle Ren had been putting on. I had to wonder why she wasn't questioning how Ren knew her name.

"I'm glad to see Rei has someone keeping an eye on her when I'm not around." Michiru continued.

"Well, someone has to keep her head from lodging itself up her ass." Ren commented, shooting me a look over her shoulder.

"Goddamn it you two." I grumbled as we approached the empty table Ren had spoken of earlier. Now my only desire was to get rid of my annoying assistant before she and Michiru bonded any further.

MICHIRU

"So what can I get for the two of you?" Ren asked ignoring Rei as I seated myself.

"Some food would be wonderful. Whatever Rei normally has is fine for me as well." I told her, assuming she already knew Rei's habits. Even her alcoholic ones. "But to accompany it, I'll have water instead of scotch."

"You think you'll need to be sober to handle Rei tonight?" Ren asked, with a cheeky grin in Rei's direction.

"I do not need to be handled." Rei muttered testily as she slid into the booth across from me. I reached across the table and patted her hand.

"Of course you don't." I agreed, letting my actions and placating tone rile her up. Ren laughed at her superior's indignant expression. Eventually Rei rolled her eyes.

"This is exactly why you two haven't met until now."

"You know you love us." Ren commented. "We're the only ones who put up with your bullshit."

I don't know how she managed it but Rei's responding shrug was surly. Ren grinned and clapped a hand against her shoulder.

"Glad to have you back, boss." She said, looking like she wanted to give Rei a hug but knew better; this coaxed a thin smile from Rei.

"Get back to work." Rei advised, her tone edging back into fondness again. Ren threw a mocking salute before disappearing back down the stairs. I shifted closer to Rei, leaning my shoulder against hers.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"About what?" Rei asked idly.

"Whatever you and Silas were arguing about earlier."

"We weren't arguing." Rei corrected, her tone even.

"Alright then, what were you _discussing_ with such confrontational body language and aggravated tones?" I amended, Rei gave a tired laugh.

"He was saying it's alright for me to be angry." Rei explained, folding her hands on the table in front of her.

"And?"

"And I told him I wasn't angry. No matter how much I wish I was." Rei conceded with a sigh, leaning her shoulder more heavily against mine. I reached down and rubbed my hand along her leg soothingly.

"I wish you and your father had gotten along better." I told her, watching a server approach our table and place our drinks in front of us; a large glass of sparkling water before me while a rather generous helping of scotch was set before Rei. The waitress seemed to linger a moment longer than necessary, Rei pointedly ignored her until Ren approached and waved her off.

I followed them with my eyes, watching as they had a hushed conversation; ending with Ren gesturing the woman away in annoyance. I could see a hint of Rei's influence in her stance and demeanour, it was fairly obvious Ren was trying to allow us as much uninterrupted time together as possible. She was giving us privacy. Even if she had better things to worry about.

Rei was still frowning at the table top when I looked back at her.

"What's wrong?" I asked her, catching on to the fact that this was a different kind of quiet contemplation from her earlier silent sorrow. After a long stretch Rei gave a heavy sigh, audible even over the music.

"A normal life...That's not too much to ask, is it?" Rei asked, her tone sounding defeated; resignation was stamped on her features. I felt my heart catch at that expression, moving to wrap my arm through hers, trying to ground her. I could see was was happening here.

"No, Rei, of course it isn't. That's not too much to ask."

Rei made a scoffing noise in the back of her throat.

"Then why..?" She broke off her sentence with a frustrated shake of her head.

"Why what?" I asked cautiously, watching Rei take a long drink of scotch.

"Then why does every last normal thing I have get taken from me?" Rei muttered in response, it was only through years of knowing her that I could even make out her words let along catch the emotional cues that accompanied them.

I didn't know how to answer that question, I didn't even know if Rei wanted it answered. All I could do is offer her my perspective.

"I think maybe you need to start living the way you want to... not how the others think you should."

"Well seeing how dear old dad is six feet under I don't see that being a problem any more." Rei snarked, draining the rest of her scotch. I caught Ren's eye over Rei's shoulder, watching her wince a bit. I had the feeling that for the next round she'd bring Rei something slightly less alcoholic.

"I wasn't just talking about him." I told Rei, meeting her gaze seriously. "I'm talking about Minako and the others."

Rei stiffened beside me. I could sense the vitriolic rant roiling into being between her teeth. I moved to cover her hand with mine, stopping whatever words she was about to say from springing forth. I was making sure she couldn't pull away from me again, she needed to hear this.

"I'm not saying you..." I stopped and rephrased, unsure how to complete that sentence. "I just want you to think on it for me. I just want you to be happy. And I don't see that happening in this holding pattern you've got going on.

Rei was watching me intently like she could peer into my heart and soul, when she opened her mouth I cut across her again.

"Don't say anything now. I want you to think on it, alright?"

I looked over to Ren, nodding slightly to let her know we were done with the serious talk and it was safe to approach. She seemed remarkably at ease with hiding her concern and just focusing on the job at hand, stepping up to the table with our food and another drink for Rei – this time it was a tall glass of something dark.

"Sure thing Princess." Rei folded, a bit of optimism reaching her expression I gave her hand an affectionate squeeze before shifting back to my side of the table. Dinner progressed in relative silence as I watched Rei finally starting to relax. Her mood was improving as the weight on her shoulders lifted, even if just for a moment. I was quite happy she'd allowed me to convince her to take a break for once.

"Dance with me." I breathed softly in her ear as I brushed up against her.

"I don't dance." Rei replied, one of her hands settling on my hip despite her answer. I reached down and took her other hand in mine, settling into the familiar closeness with Rei.

"That's not what I remember." I told her as I caressed my lips against her collarbone, taking in the scent that followed her like a shadow. Despite the ever increasing number of cigarettes she smoked that particular smell never clung to her – it was instead replaced by a comforting blend of wood smoke and cinnamon.

I breathed in deeply, wanting this moment to last for as long as possible.

"What they do today isn't dancing, it's sex... without the added benefit of getting off." Rei murmured, her eyes were flickering in the lights.

"As far as I can remember... you liked sex back then as well. What changed?" I asked, a familiar smile creeping across my face. The flirtation and seduction games that came so easily with Rei were surfacing again. Rei smiled, the distance between us had increased slightly – we were no longer pressed flush against one another. Somehow we'd been gravitating towards the back door of the club.

Rei let out a chuckle as she leaned against the door of the club pushing it open. Together we stepped out into the falling snow.

"Has to be with someone that matters. That's always been the case. You know that." She told me with a smile – I couldn't see it but I could feel it spread across her face as she nudged my cheek with her jaw. I raised my head slightly, coming to meet her lips with mine. The taste of scotch lingered in her kiss.

After a few moments, our lips parted. I let my head rest in the crook of her neck, pressing our bodies closer together. I was enveloped in her scent, her taste, her warmth. I felt her hand settle back on my hip, her thumb slowly tracing small circles.

"Michiru." She murmured, pressing her lips against my hair.

"Hmm?" I asked, humming against her skin.

"Let's dance." She requested with laughter in her voice. She was teasing me. I nipped slightly at her neck in reprimand.

"Don't be an ass." I cautioned as she pulled away with laughter flickering in her eyes. I kept a hold of her hand, pulling her back towards me. I could sense the underlying seriousness in her request. She just wanted to forget for a little while. I placed a kiss over the bite mark before answering what wasn't said – it was a plea for one more night. "But alright."

As we wrapped ourselves in the others arms I felt the world melt away. A song from another time played through my mind, bringing along the accompanying memory. I hummed the tune softly, closing my eyes as I settled into the past.

"We're obviously thinking the same thing." Rei whispered as we danced in the snow, the weight of her hand on my hip brought such calm comfort I would be surprised if I ever let her go.

"It's a good memory." I replied simply, letting my head rest on her shoulder again as I was enveloped in her warmth.

The closeness of the moment brought back more vivid memories of that night, the possessive pressure of her arm across my back. The feeling of her hand in mine, the roughness of her callouses, her gentle strength. With our bodies brushing against each other in a seductive manner, we had been almost oblivious to anything but each other. The music of the night echoed through time, swirling about us in our shared memories.

"I remember being particularly frustrated with you that night." Rei told me, pulling back slightly with a laugh in her voice.

"Why do you make that sound so appealing?" I chuckled, moving my hand to cover her heart. Rei smirked down at me, her free hand softly brushing through my hair.

"Maybe because we both know you were doing your best to get me riled up?" Rei hinted suggestively. "And maybe because we both know I'm going to do far worse to you tonight."

I felt a familiar flush rise in my cheeks at the dangerous promise in her voice. I knew it was partially the alcohol that was pushing us towards this... but I also knew there was nothing we could do to fight it at this point.

But I knew in my heart that neither of us would call this a mistake in the morning, we were too far lost in each other. We always had been, just some times we were just better at fighting it.

"Really?" I asked, doing my best to keep the upper-hand in this situation.

"Do you have any idea how fuckable you looked in that dress?" Rei breathed in my ear, holding me close to her side as we headed towards the street. I pulled away, slapping her shoulder as I felt my cheeks burn.

"Rei!" I exclaimed. "When did you get so crass? I expect that kind of behaviour from Haruka, not from you."

"My mouth tends to get away from me when I'm drunk." Rei replied, the smile on her face was enthralling. The way her lips quirked upwards, a dangerous glint in her eyes. It almost made me wish we had this fire between us all the time. "Plus I know it gets you."

"Oh really?" I asked, almost disapprovingly. I couldn't hide the desire in my tone though, so there was no weight behind it. The devilry in her gaze, the pained lust, and unrequited love that could only be redirected; we revelled in the shameless flirtation. It was what we were, it was what we had. The quirk in her expression grew.

"Haruka talks too much." Rei hissed, her finger tips dragged along my ribs – the heat of them surprising me. When had her hand slipped underneath my jacket? I fought back the urge to groan, wishing that there was nothing between her fingers and my skin.

"You are... impossible." I muttered, leaning up to try and capture her lips. As I lost myself in her kiss again as she pressed me up against the hood of her car. Her hand wrapped around mine again, placing something in my palm. I broke the kiss, letting us simply stand in the snow – our heads rested against each other.

The snow falling around us was sobering in its silence. The calm of the world around us, there would be no inferno tonight. It would be a slow burn, a loving embrace instead of fiery passion. It was what she needed.

"You should drive. I'm _way_ too drunk." Rei admitted, I removed my hand away from hers, taking the keys from her and unlocked her car. She pulled away from me as if it was physically difficult for her to distance herself. I let my finger tips trail along her arm as I watched her open the door and get into the car. I followed suit quickly, eager to resume our previous activity. 

"And you think I'm any better?" I asked knowing I was sober enough to drive, I simply wanted to keep the banter going. It was good to see Rei letting off steam for once. She kept too much bottled up inside.

"You had your first and _only_ drink over two hours ago... You're fine." Rei replied, her hand settling on my thigh. Her fingers gently tracing upwards...

"I'll be fine if _someone_ can keep her hands to herself while I get us home." I told her, settling my hand on top of hers. Her hand stilled as she looked over at me, there was an almost playful expression on her face.

"Come on, let's go." Rei prompted, I gave her a look. She sighed, doing her best to hide her smile. "I'll be good, I promise."

I nodded and started the car, Rei's hand moved from under mine, coming to settle on the back of my neck. Her fingers began playing idly with my hair, carefully brushing over my neck.

 **REI**

I was pressed up against the door the moment we were inside, Michiru's hands pushing aside my jacket, casting it to the floor without care. Her fingers tangled themselves in my hair the second my jacket was off. I wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning down for another searing kiss as I kicked the door closed behind us. I could practically feel the world slip away. Nothing else mattered.

"Fuck. I've missed this." I hissed as Michiru's hands trailed up my stomach. The pleasant feeling of drunkenness overpowering everything but the desire and need.

"Likewise."

"So they're not home, right?" I asked, doing my best to keep my head clear while I got confirmation. Michiru's hand was tight around mine as she pulled me towards the master bedroom.

"They're out of town." Michiru replied quickly. As soon as we were inside Michiru kicked the door shut and started in on removing my shirt.

Michiru pushed me down onto the bed. I shifted, doing my best to sit up properly as she straddled my waist. I slid my hand up her back trying to find the zipper of her dress, when my fingers finally located it I eased it down slowly.

"No one is here but us." She breathed as she kissed her way up my neck.

"And you're sure about this?" I asked, my hands were just beginning to slip the dress down over her shoulders.

"Rei. Shut. Up." Michiru hissed. I grinned as I pulled her down on top of me, savouring the feeling of her body against mine. I flipped us over, easing the dress the rest of the way off her.

"Yes Ma'am." I replied, smirking down at her as I let my eyes trail over her mostly naked body. Her fingers tangled in my hair again, pulling me down towards her.

And then nothing else fucking mattered.


End file.
